Put down that hot dog or risk cognitive decline

If you’re a fan of frozen pizza and hot dogs, you could be at risk of cognitive decline, according to new study.

Eating ultra-processed food for more than 20% of your daily calorie intake could be sending you on the road to cognitive decline.

This is according to a new study.

Ultra-processed food includes everything from hot dogs to french fries, sodas and doughnuts, even ice cream.

“While in need of further study and replication, the new results are quite compelling and emphasize the critical role for proper nutrition in preserving and promoting brain health and reducing risk for brain diseases as we get older,” said Rudy Tanzi, professor of neurology at Harvard Medical School and director of the genetics and aging research unit at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.

“Meanwhile, since they are convenient as a quick meal, they also replace eating food that is high in plant fiber that is important for maintaining the health and balance of the trillions of bacteria in your gut microbiome,” he added, “which is particularly important for brain health and reducing risk of age-related brain diseases like Alzheimer’s disease.”

Many studies have linked those types of food with obesity and heart problems – they can even shorten our lives.

In fact, men and women who ate the most ultra-processed foods had a 28% faster rate of cognitive decline compared with people who ate the least amount of overly processed food, the study found.

The study followed over 10,000 Brazilians for up to 10 years.