A recent review published in the August 2026 issue of the Annual Review of Nutrition has revealed that consuming just two slices of deli meat daily may significantly elevate the risk of developing dementia. The review, which examined numerous studies involving nearly 500,000 individuals in the U.K., found that each additional 25 grams of processed meat consumed per day was associated with a 44% greater risk of all-cause dementia and a 52% higher risk of Alzheimer's disease. This amount of processed meat roughly equates to one to two slices of deli meat, depending on thickness.
Read More
Conducted by an international team of 27 researchers, the review focused on the broader implications of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) on brain health. UPFs encompass a variety of items including sugary beverages, packaged snacks, and other heavily processed foods containing ingredients like emulsifiers and preservatives.
Lead author Owen Carmichael, Ph.D., from the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, emphasized the potential risks of UPFs, stating that food safety regulations do not apply to these products as rigorously as they do to pharmaceuticals. He pointed out that many UPFs are engineered to resemble medicines but face far less scrutiny.
Carmichael highlighted two principal theories explaining the connection between UPFs and brain health. The first suggests that UPFs can compromise heart and vessel health, which in turn affects brain function; the second posits that certain additives in these foods may disrupt brain chemistry.
While the review indicates a link between diets rich in UPFs and brain aging, more research is necessary to fully understand these effects. The authors noted that existing evidence is primarily observational, meaning it cannot definitively establish a cause-and-effect relationship.
Despite the findings, experts stress that dietary changes promoting heart health may also benefit brain health. For instance, replacing just 10% of UPF calories with unprocessed foods could reduce dementia risk by 19%. Given that UPFs account for about 55% of daily calorie intake for many Americans, reducing their consumption could be significant.
Dr. William Scott Burgin, a vascular neurologist at the University of South Florida, reiterated that while many UPFs may be harmful, some products classified as ultra-processed, such as fortified cereals and yogurt, might not pose the same risks. He underscored the importance of a diet rich in omega-3s, antioxidants, and polyphenols for maintaining brain health.