This amount of deli meat associated with higher dementia risk in compelling new review

Eating just two slices of deli meat a day was associated with a substantially higher risk of dementia, according to a new review of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) and brain health.The findings, published in the August 2026 issue of Annual Review of Nutrition, looked at dozens of human and animal studies, including one involving nearly 500,000 people in the U.K.The study found that each additional 25 grams of processed meat eaten daily corresponded with a 44% higher risk of all-cause dementia and a 52% higher risk of Alzheimer's.Twenty-five grams of processed meat equals roughly one to two slices of deli meat, depending on how thick the meat is sliced.JUST ONE SMALL SERVING OF ULTRA-PROCESSED FOOD A DAY LINKED TO HIGHER DISEASE RISK, MAJOR STUDY FINDSThe review, done by an international team of 27 researchers, looked more broadly at whether diets high in UPFs may contribute to brain aging over time. UPFs include sugary drinks, packaged snacks and other heavily industrially processed foods that often contain ingredients such as emulsifiers, preservatives and artificial colors.Processed meats, including deli meats, were among the ultra-processed foods examined in a new review of brain health and dementia risk.

(iStock)"The main takeaway for consumers is that it is very easy to get food items into the food supply without really understanding what kinds of effects they have on health, including the health of the brain," lead author Owen Carmichael, Ph.D., of the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, told Fox News Digital.Some UPFs are so highly engineered that they "look like pharmaceuticals," Carmichael said. 5 ULTRA-PROCESSED FOODS THAT MAY BE WORSE FOR YOUR HEALTH THAN YOU THINK, EXPERT SAYS"Yet they don't face anywhere near the scrutiny pharmaceuticals face when trying to get on the market," he added."When it comes to food safety, we sort of shoot first and ask questions later."Carmichael said researchers are investigating two leading the...