This Ultraprocessed Food Is The Worst Kind For Your Brain Health

Consider this a reason to rethink your next deli order.

Aliver Aliver
Jun 8, 2026 - 17:15
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This Ultraprocessed Food Is The Worst Kind For Your Brain Health

Image by michela ravasio / Stocksy

June 08, 2026

If you keep up with the research on brain health, you likely know that what you eat impacts how well your mind ages.

A major new study adds important weight to that conversation, finding that older Americans who eat more ultraprocessed foods (UPFs) face a meaningfully higher risk of both cognitive impairment and dementia. And one specific food group seems to be doing the most damage.

About the study

The research, published in the American Journal of Public Health, collected on data from thousands of older adults across the U.S. through the Health and Retirement Study, tracking what they ate over time and testing their memory and cognitive function every two years.

Participants in the study were classified by their level of UPF consumption, defined using the NOVA classification system, which groups foods based on the degree of industrial processing rather than nutrient content alone. The study examined total UPF intake and individual UPF subcategories, including processed meats, ultraprocessed beverages, sweets, savory snacks, ready-to-eat meals, and more.

Cognitive outcomes were assessed across two categories: cognitive impairment with no dementia (CIND), meaning measurable memory or thinking problems that don't yet meet the threshold for a dementia diagnosis, and dementia itself. This design allowed researchers to examine the full spectrum of both UPFs and cognitive decline.

UPFs & cognitive decline

Participants with higher UPF consumption had a significantly greater risk of both CIND and dementia compared to those with lower intake. The findings held up after adjusting for a range of factors, including demographics, physical activity, smoking, and overall caloric intake.

This conclusion is supported by the broader research landscape. A 2026 systematic review1 of 14 studies found that 78.5% of studies reported a significant association between higher UPF consumption and poorer cognitive outcomes, including deficits in memory, executive function, and global cognition.

When researchers broke down UPF intake by subcategory, one group clearly stood out. Among all the UPF subgroups examined, processed meat showed the strongest association with cognitive risk.

This aligns with a separate 2025 study2 that also used HRS data and found that ultraprocessed animal products were associated with a 17% higher risk of developing cognitive impairment.

Why processed meat may be especially harmful to the brain

Not only is processed meat ultraprocessed, but it carries a particular combination of ingredients and compounds that researchers believe may be especially damaging to the brain over time.

A 2025 narrative review3 on UPFs and brain health identified several ways these foods can cause harm. High heat processing creates harmful byproducts that can damage cells throughout the body, including in the brain. These compounds also disrupt the balance of bacteria in the gut, which in turn affects how well the brain functions. These effects can cause increased inflammation and cellular damage in the brain over time.

Processed meats are also typically high in saturated fat and sodium nitrates, which are independently linked to inflammation. They tend to crowd out more protective foods from the diet, reducing intake of fiber, antioxidants, and other nutrients that support brain health.

The combination of these factors, rather than any single ingredient, is likely why processed meat stands out among UPF subgroups in the cognitive risk data.

Putting this into practice

This study also evaluated what foods decreased the risk of cognitive decline. Participants with higher intake of minimally processed foods showed lower cognitive risk, suggesting that the quality and degree of processing in your overall diet matters.

It's not about the presence or absence of any single food, but few practical shifts can make a real difference:

Swap processed deli meats for whole protein sources: Think grilled chicken, canned salmon, hard-boiled eggs, or legumes as sandwich fillings and snack proteins.Read labels on packaged foods: UPFs are often identified by long ingredient lists with additives, emulsifiers, and flavor enhancers. If you can't picture the ingredient in your head, the product is likely ultraprocessed.Prioritize whole or minimally processed foods at most meals: Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and unprocessed proteins form the foundation of a brain-supportive diet.Reduce rather than eliminate: The research looks at patterns of consumption over time, not single meals. Reducing your overall UPF load, especially processed meat, is a meaningful step even if you don't cut it out entirely.

The takeaway

Most people think of dementia risk as something genetic or inevitable, but this research reminds us that your daily choices are part of the equation. The evidence linking ultraprocessed foods to cognitive decline is growing, and processed meat is emerging as the most significant offender.

But the flip side of that finding is that participants minimally processed foods may lower cognitive risk. What you eat may shape how your brain functions decades later, and it's something you can control, starting as soon your next meal.