Adults who consume large amounts of ultraprocessed foods face a significantly higher risk of hidden brain damage that can precede strokes and cognitive decline, according to a Canadian study published in JAMA Network Open.
Researchers examined magnetic resonance imaging scans of 8,783 participants between the ages of 35 and 69 who had no history of cardiovascular disease. The analysis revealed that individuals with the highest intake of packaged snacks, soft drinks, sugary cereals and other ultraprocessed items were 40 percent more likely to exhibit signs of vascular brain injury than those who ate the least, Fox News and Healthline reported.
Early Signs Detected on Scans
Vascular brain injury consists of subtle tissue changes that generally produce no immediate symptoms, allowing the damage to accumulate quietly for years. Scientists view these alterations as early indicators of long-term risks, including memory loss and stroke.
Russel J. de Souza, the study’s lead author and an associate scientist at the Population Health Research Institute of McMaster University and Hamilton Health Sciences, expressed surprise at the findings. “Usually, this kind of damage is associated with conditions we hear about and treat at a much older age,” de Souza told Medical Xpress, emphasizing that the subjects were middle-aged adults without heart ailments.
The study observed an especially pronounced connection among women. Female participants in the highest consumption bracket had nearly double the odds of displaying vascular brain damage compared to women in the lowest consumption group, according to the researchers.
Displacing Nutritious Meals
Ultraprocessed foods made up an average of 25 percent of participants’ daily diets across the cohort, which drew from the Canadian Alliance for Healthy Hearts and Minds and the Prospective Urban and Rural Epidemiology-MIND studies. Among participants with the heaviest intake, ultraprocessed products climbed to 45 percent of their daily food volume, compared with 16 percent for the lowest group, Healthline reported.
The investigators also observed that heavily processed options routinely displaced nutrient-rich foods. Minimal-processing staples such as fresh produce and whole grains comprised 68 percent of daily intake among the lowest consumers, but dropped to 41 percent among those eating the most ultraprocessed fare. Those with higher intake also averaged 1.7 percent more body fat.
In the United States, ultraprocessed items make up an even larger share of the average diet. Data published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed that Americans aged one and older consumed an average of 55 percent of their daily calories from ultraprocessed foods between August 2021 and August 2023.
Policy Battles and Research Gaps
The findings emerge amid intense policy debates surrounding food regulation. A separate study published in the American Journal of Public Health revealed that 91 percent of academic papers challenging the NOVA food classification system—which defines processing levels—had at least one author with financial ties to the food industry, The Examination reported.
Experts stress that because the Canadian brain study evaluated participants at a single point in time, it establishes a correlation rather than direct causation. Cognitive testing among the subjects did not reveal immediate impairments, and researchers cannot definitively confirm that ultraprocessed foods produced the vascular changes.
Outside medical specialists advised caution while encouraging balanced eating. Michelle Routhenstein, a preventive cardiology dietitian who was not involved in the research, told Healthline that the results emphasize the necessity of protecting blood vessels to safeguard the brain.
Researchers are preparing follow-up investigations using repeat imaging scans to determine whether reducing ultraprocessed foods can halt or reverse vascular brain injuries over time.
