VICTORIA — A study published on June 9, 2026, found that increased consumption of ultra-processed foods was associated with declines in visual attention and processing speed among more than 2,100 Australian adults without dementia. The research examined dietary and cognitive data from these participants.

Dr. Barbara Cardoso of Monash University led the Australian research team. "To put our findings in perspective, a 10 percent increase in UPFs is roughly equivalent to adding a standard packet of chips to your daily diet," Cardoso said.

Participants in the Australian study obtained approximately 41% of their daily caloric intake from ultra-processed foods. Declines in attention correlated with ultra-processed food consumption regardless of overall diet quality. This occurred even among participants who followed a Mediterranean-style diet.

"For every 10 percent increase in ultra-processed food a person consumed, we saw a distinct and measurable drop in a person's ability to focus," Cardoso said. She added that this resulted in consistently lower scores on standardized cognitive tests designed to measure visual attention and processing speed.

The study authors proposed that several factors could mediate the cognitive effects of ultra-processed foods, including alterations to gut microbiota, oxidative stress, chronic inflammation, and food additives. Cardoso noted that food ultra-processing often destroys the natural structure of food and introduces potentially harmful substances, such as artificial additives or processing chemicals.

Cardoso stated that these additives suggest the link between diet and cognitive function extends beyond just missing out on foods known as healthy, pointing to mechanisms linked to the degree of food processing itself. The study found that higher ultra-processed food consumption was associated with increased dementia risk factors, including obesity and high blood pressure. The research did not identify a direct statistical link between ultra-processed food consumption and memory loss.

No independent assessment was available for this report.