David PerlmutterPresident,, Perlmutter Health Center · Board-Certified Neurologist | Functional Medicine Pioneer | #1 New York Times Best-Selling Author | International Speaker | Host of The Empowering Neurologist Podcast

This is something I have been warning about for years.

6 May 2026 · 1 min

Watch on YouTube

1:19

In this YouTube monologue, board‑certified neurologist Dr. David Perlmutter discusses the link between ultra‑processed foods and Alzheimer’s disease. He introduces a new study published in the Journal of Prevention of Alzheimer’s Disease that followed 1,375 participants (average age 68) for about 12 years. The study found that each serving of ultra‑processed foods—such as crackers, cakes, processed cereals, sweetened or flavored yogurts—was associated with a 12‑13% higher risk of an Alzheimer’s diagnosis. Consuming ten or more servings per day was linked to more than a three‑fold increase in risk. Dr. Perlmutter emphasizes that lifestyle choices, especially diet, are crucial for brain health and that paying attention to food intake is a vital first step in reducing Alzheimer’s risk.

Chapters

Will ultra-processed foods give you Alzheimer's disease? Hi, I'm Dr. David Perlmutter. This is an area of my interest. I'm a board-certified neurologist, and I'm also a fellow of the American College of Nutrition. Well, we're hearing a lot about consuming ultra-processed foods and the threats that this action poses to our general health. What about the brain? A new study was just published in the Journal of Prevention of Alzheimer's Disease. They looked at 1,375 people. They were average age 68, so youngsters, and they followed these individuals for around 12 years. What did they find? They found that the association of Alzheimer's disease with consuming ultra-processed foods, things like crackers and cakes and various processed foods like cereals and even sweetened yogurt or flavored yogurt, each serving was associated with around a 12 to 13% increase in risk for being diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, and consuming 10 or more servings a day of ultra-processed foods, that's not really out of the question for some people, was associated with more than a threefold increased risk for getting Alzheimer's, a disease for which there is no meaningful treatment. So again, our lifestyle choices are fundamental in charting our brain's destiny, and paying attention to what we eat is certainly a very important first step.