Dementia has long been a major problem in the U.S. \u2014 one that is projected to worsen in coming years. The chronic condition affects people\u2019s memory, personality and behavior, devastating both patients and their loved ones. <\/p>\n
There are more than 7.2 million Americans living with Alzheimer\u2019s disease<\/a>, which is the most common form of dementia. That number could be close to 13 million by 2050, the Alzheimer\u2019s Association<\/a> says.<\/p>\n The findings could help explain how America got here, and inform future steps experts recommend to reverse course.<\/p>\n Around 70 percent<\/a> of the American diet has become ultraprocessed over the last half century<\/a>, according to the National Institute of Health, as companies edited their products\u2019 flavor, color and shelf life. The products were designed to be more “hyperpalatble” to consumers, featuring tempting combinations of salts, fats and sugars, Kansas University<\/a> researchers say.<\/p>\n Since then, years of research has uncovered the harms of these foods, including similarly negative impacts on brain health, the heart, the immune system and other systems in the body. <\/p>\n It\u2019s not just the major eaters that are at risk, too.<\/p>\n Even moderate levels of consumption were a problem for the brain, the new study found. That\u2019s around a pound or less.<\/p>\n \u201cJust to say, \u2018well, I don\u2019t eat all my calories from ultraprocessed foods, I\u2019m safe.\u2019 It really shows there may not be a safe level,\u201d Cindy Leung, an associate professor of public health nutrition, told The Wall Street Journal<\/a>. <\/p>\n The researchers analyzed the health of more than 5,300 older adults over the course of close to a decade. The participants were from the University of Michigan\u2019s Health and Retirement Study, which includes health data gathered from approximately 20,000 Americans and is supported by the National Institute on Aging.<\/p>\n Participants were asked questions about their food intake, as well as smoking, alcohol use, activity level and other factors that affect brain and overall health.<\/p>\n Comparing the data revealed that people who ate processed meats had the highest risk of dementia and cognitive impairment, such as bacon and sliced ham.<\/p>\n But because the study\u2019s data is self-reported, the researchers say they can\u2019t actually prove ultraprocessed foods are the cause of dementia and cognitive decline. <\/p>\n Still, ultraprocessed foods are also tied to risk factors for dementia, such as obesity, gut changes and cardiovascular disease. <\/p>\n \u201c[Ultraprocessed foods] have been associated with negative changes in the endocrine system and the gut microbiota, and these could lead to negative neurological outcomes,\u201d Barbara Cardoso, a senior lecturer of nutrition dietetics and food at Australia\u2019s Monash University, told CNN<\/a> in April. <\/p>\n \u201cFurther, [they] have been linked to known cardiovascular risk factors for dementia, such as diabetes, hypertension, obesity and high LDL cholesterol, and as such could indirectly impact cognitive health,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Cardoso was the author of a study<\/a> showing eating even one serving of ultraprocessed foods a day<\/a> may raise the risk of dementia.<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/GettyImages-612201734.jpeg\")
A diet heavy in ultraprocessed foods like smoked meats is linked to a higher risk of developing dementia and cognitive impairment, a new study from Harvard researchers shows. The findings build on years of previous studies that uncovered similar and pervasive health harms (Getty Images)<\/p>\n![\"Much](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/GettyImages-183650577.jpeg\")
Much of the American diet is now made up of ultraprocessed foods. But past research shows that just a serving could raise dementia risk (AFP via Getty Images)<\/p>\n