Adding even just a few ultra-processed foods to your healthy diet is linked to a higher risk of cognitive decline and stroke, the new study shows. Sadly, mental health decline may happen even if you are trying to follow a healthy plant-based Mediterranean diet, the DASH diet or the MIND diet. All these three diets are considered the healthiest as they are based on vegetables, fruits, whole grains, beans, nuts and seeds while eliminating red meat, refined sugar, trans fats and ultra-processed foods. The new study published in the American Journal of Neurology proves the association of ultra-processed foods with mental disabilities. According to the study, if you increase your ultra-processed food intake by 10%, it increases your risk of cognitive disablement by 16%. On the other side, adding more unprocessed foods or minimally processed foods to your diet is beneficial to your general health as it was linked with a 12% lower risk of cognitive disablement. Ultra-processed foods include meat cuts and slices, sausages, ready-to-eat packaged products like sweets, biscuits, cakes, candies, crisps, instant soups, instant sauces, frozen pizza, ready-to-eat meals, ice cream and fast foods like hot dogs, chips, burgers, sweetened drinks. Ultra-processed foods are high in calories and contain high quantities of added sugar, salt and fat. At the same time, they are nutritionally poor and low in fibre. Eating them every day leads to many health issues, including weight gain, obesity, type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure, experts say. Unprocessed foods include fresh vegetables and fruits, whole grains, beans, legumes, eggs and milk. Minimally processed foods include cooking ingredients such as salt, oils, canned foods and frozen vegetables. Eating more ultra-processed foods such as sausages is linked to a higher risk of stroke and cognitive decline, according to this study.
