Scientists have identified a link between ultra-processed foods and signs of stroke
The diet may be related not only to the state of the heart and metabolism, but also to the health of the brain. Some changes in his tissues do not cause noticeable symptoms for a long time, but they can precede stroke and memory problems. How the use of ultra-processed foods is associated with such changes is described in the Izvestia article.
Scientists have discovered a link between diet and brain changes
Eating large amounts of ultra-processed foods is associated with a higher likelihood of detecting signs of brain damage in middle-aged people who have not been diagnosed with heart disease. This is the conclusion reached by researchers whose work has been published in the journal JAMA Network Open. They studied the data of almost 9 thousand people and compared the characteristics of their diet with the results of an MRI scan of the brain.
Participants who consumed the most ultra-processed foods were 40% more likely to find small areas of brain tissue damage than those who ate the least. Such changes may not be accompanied by noticeable symptoms, but are considered possible early signs of stroke risk and future memory problems.
Russell J. de Souza, a researcher at the McMaster University Institute for Population Health Research and the first author of the work
To be honest, I didn't expect such a result. We studied middle-aged people from Canada who did not have heart problems and who did not report other health problems. As a rule, such injuries are associated with diseases that we learn about and which develop at a much later age.
The connection turned out to be stronger in women
The study included Canadians aged 35 to 69 years who had not previously been diagnosed with heart disease. Participants who consumed more ultra-processed foods also had more adipose tissue, including in the depths of the abdominal cavity. This type of body fat is associated with inflammation and damage to blood vessels, which can also affect the brain.
The link between nutrition and signs of brain damage was more pronounced in women. The group with the highest intake of ultraprocessed foods was almost twice as likely to detect such changes as the group with the lowest intake.
Sonya Anand, Senior Researcher at the Institute for Population Health Research and senior author of the paper
Our results show that the link between nutrition and brain health may be evident even before people notice problems with memory or thinking.
According to her, the findings add to the growing body of evidence that the nutrition of people in their 30s, 40s, 50s, and 60s is related to their brain health later in life.
Ultra-processed foods displaced regular food from the diet
The researchers classified ultra-processed foods, in particular, packaged snacks, sugary breakfast cereals, carbonated drinks, instant noodles, and ready-made frozen meals. Such products often contain a lot of salt, added sugar and saturated fats, but at the same time they provide the body with relatively little fiber, vitamins and minerals.
On average, ultraprocessed foods accounted for about 25% of the participants' daily meals. Among those who consumed them the most, the proportion reached 45%, while in the group with the lowest consumption it was 16%.
At the same time, as the proportion of ultra—processed foods in the diet increased, the proportion of whole and minimally processed foods decreased, such as fruits, vegetables, and grains. In the group with the highest intake of ultra—processed foods, they accounted for 41% of daily servings, and in the group with the lowest, 68%.
Russell J. de Souza
People who ate more ultra-processed foods didn't just add them to their regular diet. These foods seemed to displace healthier whole foods.
The study does not prove a direct cause-and-effect relationship.
The researchers analyzed data from participants in two research projects who filled out detailed nutrition questionnaires, after which they underwent an MRI scan of the brain. The images were evaluated by neurologists who did not know which foods the subjects preferred.
At the same time, the study was cross-sectional: data on nutrition and brain condition were evaluated in one stage, and participants were not monitored for a long time in this analysis. Therefore, scientists cannot claim that it was the ultraprocessed products that directly caused the detected changes.
Further studies with repeated examinations are needed to verify this relationship. According to de Souza, long-term studies are needed in which people will be monitored over time and MRI scans performed repeatedly to find out whether reducing the consumption of ultra-processed foods can slow down or prevent these brain changes.
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