But what are UPFs and what food and drinks include them? Well, UPF stands for Ultra-processed foods and are used to describe foods which have been through more processing than other foods.
Attention span is the foundation for a number of brain operations (Getty Stock Image)
These include ingredients that would not be found in a typical home, such as preservatives and sweeteners and are found in foods such as chips, chocolate and ice cream.
“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,” Dr Cardoso added.
It’s not the only recent study done on the effects of UPFs, and many experts warn against the negative impact they can have on the body.
Last month, public health expert Dr Van Tulleken spoke out on The Diary of a CEO podcast, in which he said UPFs had now ‘overtaken tobacco as the leading cause of early death on planet Earth’.
“There is a decade of evidence now that is extremely clear that it is ultra-processed food that is responsible, not just for pandemic weight gain and obesity, but also for a long list of other health problems,” he said.
He later argued that UPFs should be treated as ‘an addictive substance’.
