Natalia Gonçalves, PhD, University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil, shares the findings of a prospective study assessing the longitudinal association between the consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPF) and cognitive decline. Study participants were enrolled from the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil) and followed up for 9 years. Food frequency questionnaires were used to assess UPF consumption as a percentage of total daily calorie intake. In the overall study population of more than 8000 individuals, 28% of daily calorie intake came from UPF on average. Compared to consumption in the first quintile, highest UPF intake was related to decline in executive function and memory performance. Dr Gonçalves comments on the importance of the findings for emphasizing the impact of a healthy lifestyle for brain performance. This interview took place at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference (AAIC) 2022 in San Diego, CA.

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