Study Links Ultra-Processed Foods to Reduced Attention and Concentration - Video

A daily packet of chips or another ultra-processed snack could be doing more than expanding your waistline-it may also be affecting your ability to concentrate, according to a new study published in Alzheimer's & Dementia: Diagnosis, Assessment & Disease Monitoring.

Researchers from Monash University, the University of São Paulo, and Deakin University analyzed dietary and cognitive data from more than 2,100 Australian adults aged middle-age and older who did not have dementia. Their findings suggest that higher consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) is linked to poorer attention and slower mental processing speed.

Participants obtained about 41% of their daily calories from ultra-processed foods, similar to the national average in Australia. Researchers found that for every 10% increase in ultra-processed food intake—roughly equivalent to adding a standard packet of chips to the daily diet—participants showed measurable declines in tests assessing focus, visual attention, and information-processing speed.

Importantly, the association remained even among individuals who otherwise followed healthy dietary patterns, including Mediterranean-style diets. This suggests that the degree of food processing itself may have an independent impact on brain health.

Ultra-processed foods include products such as soft drinks, packaged snacks, instant foods, and ready-made meals. These products often undergo extensive industrial processing and may contain additives, preservatives, flavor enhancers, and other compounds not typically found in home-cooked foods.

Researchers believe that processing may alter the natural structure of foods while introducing substances that could negatively affect cognitive function. The study also found that greater intake of ultra-processed foods was associated with higher rates of obesity and high blood pressure, two well-established risk factors for dementia.

Although the study did not find a direct link between ultra-processed foods and memory loss, researchers note that attention is a core cognitive function that supports learning, decision-making, and problem-solving. Declining attention may therefore represent an early warning sign of broader changes in brain health.

REFERENCE: Barbara R. Cardoso, Euridice Martinez Steele, Barbara Brayner, Xinyi Yuan, Lisa Bransby, Hannah Cummins, Yen Ying Lim, Priscila Machado. Ultra‐processed food intake, cognitive function, and dementia risk: A cross‐sectional study of middle‐aged and older Australian adults. Alzheimer-'s, 2026; 18 (2) DOI: 10.1002/dad2.70335