Ultra-processed foods linked to measurable drops in human attention span

New research from Monash University, the University of São Paulo and Deakin University shows a diet high in heavily processed foods can negatively impact the brain's ability to focus and increases the risk of developing dementia.

The study published today in Alzheimer's & Dementia: Diagnosis, Assessment & Disease Monitoring, a journal of the Alzheimer's Association, examined the diets and cognitive health of more than 2,100 Australian dementia-free adults middle-aged and older.

The findings demonstrate that a slight daily increase in a person's intake of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) is linked to a measurable drop in attention span – even if someone otherwise eats healthy.

Lead author Dr Barbara Cardoso, from the Department of Nutrition, Dietetics and Food and the Victorian Heart Institute at Monash University, said the study reinforces a clear connection between industrial food manufacturing and cognitive decline.