Ultra-processed food intake and brain health in middle-aged and older adults.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

The escalating burden of neurodegenerative diseases underscores the urgent need to identify modifiable dietary risks. Given the increasing prevalence of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) in modern diets and their links to various chronic diseases, this study investigates their associations with neurodegeneration and alterations in brain structure.

Design

A prospective cohort study.

Setting and participants

58,423 participants aged 40-70 years from the UK Biobank cohort (enrolled from 2006 to 2010) were included to examine the associations between UPF intake and neurodegenerative diseases, with a subsample of 5,462 participants with neuroimaging data used to investigate associations with regional gray matter morphology, including volume, thickness, and surface are

SUBMITTER: Gu J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12789825 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature