Processed Foods Linked to Cognitive Decline & Brain Changes: New Research Highlights Risks
By Radio Pampa Redaction | september 13, 2025
Mounting evidence points to a concerning link between processed food consumption and both cognitive decline and direct changes in brain function. Two recent studies, one focusing on human populations and the other on animal models, reveal how “junk food” – including items like chips, hamburgers, and pizza – can negatively impact memory and increase the risk of neurological issues.
A study published in Neuron demonstrates that even short-term consumption of a high-fat diet can disrupt memory processing in the brain. Researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill found that specific brain cells, called CCK interneurons within the hippocampus (the brain’s memory center), become overactive when the brain’s ability to utilize glucose is impaired by a high-fat intake. This overactivity is linked to a protein called PKM2, which regulates energy use in brain cells. In experiments with mice,abnormal CCK interneuron activity was observed just four days after initiating a high-fat diet,suggesting rapid and direct effects. Importantly, the study also showed that interventions like intermittent fasting could normalize CCK interneuron function and improve memory.
“We didn’t expect to find such a specific and vulnerable group of brain cells directly affected by short-term exposure to a rich fat diet,” explains lead researcher Juan Song, professor of pharmacology at UNC Chapel Hill. “These findings suggest that fatty and processed foods can affect the brain almost immediately,even before weight gain or diabetes develop.”
This research builds upon a larger study published in Neurology by researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital (Harvard University). this study followed 30,239 individuals aged 45 and older for an average of eleven years. Participants were categorized based on their intake of ultra-processed foods as a percentage of their daily diet. The results showed that a 10% increase in ultra-processed food consumption was associated with a 16% higher risk of cognitive impairment in the 14,175 participants evaluated for cognitive decline (who had no prior cognitive issues at the study’s start). The study also found a link to stroke risk in the 20,243 participants evaluated for stroke (with no prior stroke history). Researchers adjusted for factors like age, gender, and high blood pressure.
These findings underscore the importance of dietary choices for long-term brain health. Researchers suggest that addressing metabolic disorders through dietary modifications and potentially pharmacological interventions could offer a holistic approach to reducing the burden of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
(With information from the newspaper O globo)
