Over the years, research has shown that UPFs can negatively impact everything from our weight<\/a> to our cardiovascular health<\/a>, and could even be linked to some types of cancer<\/a>. <\/p>\n But a new study co-authored by two professors at Hamilton’s McMaster University, published Thursday by JAMA Network Open<\/a>, signals that our brains could also suffer as a result of consuming too many foods produced to be cheap and ready-to-eat.<\/p>\n The authors say that the people with the highest intake of UPFs in their diets may face an increased likelihood of experiencing changes to the brain that could serve as precursors for stroke, dementia and cognitive decline.<\/p>\n People wouldn’t necessarily be aware of these potential harms, says study co-author Russell de Souza, an associate professor at McMaster’s Mary Heersink School of Global Health and Social Medicine.<\/p>\n But he says the findings could encourage people to shift their eating habits now, before experiencing serious consequences later in life.<\/p>\n WATCH | Food costs, literacy factors in reliance on unhealthy ultra-processed products: Why it can be hard to avoid ultra-processed foods<\/p>\n Research has shown how bad ultra-processed foods can be for people\u2019s health, but factors including the cost of fresh foods and food literacy can make them harder to avoid for some Canadians.Feeding the furnace<\/p>\n De Souza and co-author Dr. Sonia Anand, a vascular medicine specialist, examined the diets and brain MRI scans of more than 8,700 Canadian adults, with a median age of about 58, and broke them down into four groups, from those with the lowest intake of UPFs to those with the highest. <\/p>\n The latter cohort was made up of people who consumed nearly 45 per cent of their calories from UPFs, or the equivalent of 16 servings a day, which they self-reported in a survey listing 150 to 170 food items consumed in the past year. <\/p>\n By comparison, the group with the lowest consumption got 15 per cent of their daily calories from UPFs, equal to three servings. <\/p>\n Anand, a professor of medicine and epidemiology at McMaster, says they analyzed the scans of higher-risk participants and found that their UPF-heavy diets were associated with increased body fat and visceral fat<\/a> \u2014 the kind stored deeper in the body and around organs.<\/p>\n “Fat tissue in the wrong places can be almost like a furnace spewing out a whole bunch of inflammatory proteins that then affect our brains,” she said. <\/p>\n Ultra-processed foods like instant noodles are mostly or entirely made from substances derived from plant and animal sources and combined with additives, preservatives, stabilizers, dyes and artificial flavours, rather than minimally-processed ingredients. (Dan Kitwood\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n Anand says the MRIs of the higher-risk group showed changes to the brain similar to silent strokes, a type of stroke<\/a> that doesn’t present any noticeable symptoms but damages the tissue. <\/p>\n These injuries add up over time and make it more likely that people could develop neurological problems, such as vascular dementia, says Dr. Michael Hill, a neurologist and professor at the University of Calgary who is not affiliated with the study. <\/p>\n “The more injuries you accumulate, the more likely you are to have neurological problems later in life, most commonly vascular dementia,” he said.<\/p>\n While the damage a UPF-heavy diet may do can’t be reversed, Hill says dietary changes can reduce further progression.<\/p>\n “Feed your brain,” he said. “It’s not just about your gut, right? It’s about your whole body.” <\/p>\n He says the findings are consistent with a growing body of evidence about the health impacts of UPFs. <\/p>\n LISTEN | About 1\/3 of Canadian adults are obese. Ultra-processed foods are a major culprit:<\/p>\n The Dose21:34What’s the harm in eating ultra-processed foods and what can I do about it?<\/p>\n ‘Eat foods that rot, not rotten foods’<\/p>\n De Souza notes that not all processed foods are ultra-processed and, in fact, many processed products in grocery stores have a lot of nutritional value. <\/p>\n “Some degree of processing is absolutely necessary in the food supply,” he said. “It helps keep food safe and shelf stable.”<\/p>\n But a can of beans, a bag of frozen vegetables or a container of yogurt are all different from a fast-food meal or a box of sugar-coated cereal. <\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/1792085055_850_default.jpg\")
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