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Participants filled out two questionnaires about their diets the previous day, to allow a comparison of the processed foods they consumed to the rest of their daily diet. By the end of the study, 518 people developed dementia.
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The researchers followed the participants for approximately 10 years. To conduct the study, the researchers sourced 72,083 participants from the UK Biobank. "It's encouraging to know that small and manageable changes in diet may make a difference in a person's risk of dementia." Memory Loss and Diet "Our results also show increasing unprocessed or minimally processed foods by only 50 grams a day, which is equivalent to half an apple, a serving of corn, or a bowl of bran cereal, and simultaneously decreasing ultra-processed foods by 50 grams a day, equivalent to a chocolate bar or a serving of fish sticks, is associated with a 3 percent decreased risk of dementia," study author Huiping Li, Ph.D., of Tianjin Medical University in China, said. These foods also typically contain low levels of protein and fiber. The researchers defined ultra-processed foods as high in added sugar, fat, and salt such as soft drinks, ice cream, fried chicken, yogurt, canned beans, condiments, sugary cereals, and packaged bread. The researchers found that for every 10 percent increase in daily ultra-processed foods consumption, participants showed a 25 percent higher risk of dementia. Researchers analyzed the dietary patterns of 72,000 individuals aged 55 or older to examine how processed foods correlated with dementia development over approximately 10 years. The researchers published the finding in Neurology from the American Academy of Neurology. This week, a new study found that eating high amounts of ultra-processed foods is associated with a higher risk of dementia. Despite common misconceptions, this brain-related disease is not an inevitability as we grow older, and the latest research has begun to reveal that there are key risks to brain health. If you have dementia in your family or are finding it hard to remember things, read this.ĭementia currently ranks as the seventh leading cause of death among all diseases, threatening the lives of 55 million people worldwide, according to the World Health Organization. But now a new study points to diet – and specifically, one that is heavy on processed foods and packaged foods – as contributing to the brain's ability to age well and function to its fullest capacity for years to come. Certainly, there are many factors that can influence whether one day you will be diagnosed with dementia: Your Genes, your lifestyle, and a large amount of luck.
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