UPF categories needed to identify foods linked to cognitive impairment

Ultraprocessed foods (UPFs) must be separated into categories, suggests a study examining the association of ultraprocessed animal products and beverages with cognitive functions.

Some 1,363 participants developed cognitive impairment over 7 years. An additional average daily serving of ultraprocessed animal products resulted in a 17-percent (95 percent confidence interval [CI], 1.032–1.326) higher risk of developing cognitive impairment, while ultraprocessed beverages contributed to a 6.3-percent increase (95 percent CI, 1.010–1.118).

On the other hand, total UPF consumption and consumption of other UPF categories, such as sweets, spreads, savoury snacks, ready-to-eat meals, grains, and dairy-based products, do not appear to increase the risk of cognitive impairment development.

“These results reinforce the value of separating UPF into categories,” the authors said. 

“The link between UPF animal products and beverages with cognitive functions may be, in part, explained by their ingredients, such as additives, or by the poor nutritional composition of products rich in simple sugars and low in dietary fibres,” they added.

In this analysis, the authors used data from the Health and Retirement Study to explore UPF consumption and the risk of developing cognitive impairment. A total of 4,750 middle-aged and older adults in the US were included.

The Harvard Food Frequency Questionnaire was used to assess diet at baseline, while measures of recall and executive function were used to assess cognitive status biennially from 2014 to 2020. Categorization of foods was carried out via the NOVA system, and UPF foods were classified based on previously reported criteria.

Finally, the authors explored the association of total UPF consumption and nine UPF categories with cognitive status using adjusted Cox proportional hazard analyses.