Latest research: Can you prevent dementia by eating? This healthy diet should be saved for your family

A recent study published by researchers from Newcastle University and Exeter University in the UK suggests that a Mediterranean diet is associated with a reduced risk of dementia.

The study found that people who adhered more closely to a Mediterranean diet had up to a 23% lower risk of dementia than those who followed it less frequently.

Can the Mediterranean diet really prevent dementia? What can we do to better prevent dementia?

01

What is dementia?

Dementia refers to a clinical syndrome characterized by intellectual and cognitive decline, such as memory loss and decreased reasoning and calculation abilities, but generally without impaired consciousness.

Dementia is characterized by a deterioration in cognitive function beyond what is expected from normal aging and occurs more often in older people.

The disease affects memory, thinking, orientation, comprehension, calculation, learning ability, language and judgment and is a leading cause of disability in the elderly.

02

What causes dementia?

Neurodegenerative diseases are the main cause of dementia, such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, etc.

Among them, 60% to 70% of dementia is caused by Alzheimer's disease (AD), so people often equate Alzheimer's disease with "senile dementia."

In fact, in addition to the above-mentioned neurodegenerative diseases, infections may also cause dementia, such as HIV infection; vascular system diseases and stroke are also causes of dementia; there are other causes, such as depression and chronic drug use, which may also cause dementia.

Regardless of the cause of dementia, life is difficult for patients.

As dementia worsens, the patient's cognitive ability will gradually decline and their self-care ability will be devastatingly affected. This is the main cause of disability in elderly patients.

03

How harmful is dementia?

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), dementia is now a rapidly growing public health problem, affecting approximately 50 million people worldwide.

There are nearly 10 million new cases each year.

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Dementia is a leading cause of disability and dependency in older adults.

The disease imposes a heavy economic burden on society as a whole, with the annual cost of caring for people with dementia estimated to rise to $2 trillion by 2030.

The situation in China is even more serious. China is already the country with the largest elderly population in the world, with more than 143 million people over the age of 60, accounting for 1/5 of the world's elderly population.

Data released by authoritative organizations in 2015 showed that cognitive impairment (also known as dementia) has become a high-incidence disease among middle-aged and elderly people, just like diabetes, hypertension, and coronary heart disease.

This will be a heavy burden for every family.

04

Can dementia be cured?

With current medical technology, dementia cannot be cured and can only be treated with dedicated care.

05

What can we do to prevent dementia?

While there is no cure for dementia, dementia is not inevitable.

Indeed, there is a relationship between the development of cognitive impairment and dementia and lifestyle-related risk factors (such as physical inactivity, smoking, unhealthy diet and harmful use of alcohol), while many chronic diseases increase the risk of dementia, including hypertension, diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, obesity and depression.

The "Reducing the Risk of Cognitive Decline and Dementia" released by the World Health Organization (WHO) believes that improving lifestyle and eating habits can prevent dementia, or at least delay or slow the onset of dementia.

The World Health Organization recommends starting with the following:

1. Exercise

Physical activity is important. It helps maintain muscle strength, improves coordination, and helps keep away obesity and cardiovascular disease, which are themselves risk factors for dementia.

Exercise can also improve mood, calm the mind, reduce anxiety, and slow the decline of memory and intelligence.

The World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines strongly recommend exercise for adults with normal cognition; exercise is also recommended for adults with mild cognitive impairment.

However, the World Health Organization has not given clear recommendations on the amount of time to exercise.

My personal suggestion is to refer to my country's dietary guidelines. For ordinary people, it is generally recommended to do about 45 to 60 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise every day. Tai Chi, brisk walking, swimming, jogging, etc. are all good choices.

2. Quit smoking

A large amount of research evidence shows that smoking increases the risk of dementia. Not only for Alzheimer's disease, but also for many other types of dementia, smoking in late life will increase the risk of disease.

So don't think that smoking can clear your brain. When it comes to inducing Alzheimer's disease, smoking will only make you confused faster.

The World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines strongly recommend smoking cessation and suggest that smoking cessation interventions should be offered to adults who smoke because, in addition to other health benefits, smoking cessation can reduce the risk of cognitive decline and dementia.

3. Try to drink less alcohol

Alcohol increases the risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, which are also risk factors for dementia and Alzheimer's disease. Therefore, it is recommended that you try not to drink alcohol, and if you have to drink, drink as little as possible.

4. Maintain a healthy weight

Maintaining a healthy weight and avoiding obesity can reduce the risk of high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, etc., which are high-risk factors for dementia.

Therefore, it is recommended to start controlling weight from middle age and keep the body mass index (BMI) between 18-24.

5. Healthy diet and balanced nutrition

People who eat a low-salt, low-fat diet and often eat vegetables, fish and nuts have a lower risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.

Such a diet can prevent cardiovascular disease and diabetes, and the microvascular lesions caused by these diseases often promote brain damage.

Therefore, the World Health Organization's guidelines encourage people to eat healthily and develop healthy eating habits.

06

“Mediterranean diet”

Can it really reduce the risk of dementia?

The WHO guidelines also mention that "a Mediterranean diet may reduce risk," but the evidence is not sufficient.

Therefore, I would also like to remind everyone that the Mediterranean diet pattern does not have a very clear definition. It does not tell you what to eat, how much to eat, etc. You should try to follow the recommendations of the food pyramid, try to eat low salt and low fat, and eat more vegetables, fish, and nuts.

07

Can taking supplements prevent or treat dementia?

This may be a question that many people are very concerned about, and the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines also give the answer: No.

The World Health Organization (WHO) pointed out in its guidelines that there is currently insufficient evidence to show that eating health foods can prevent or treat dementia. It is not recommended to take vitamin B, vitamin E, polyunsaturated fatty acids and multivitamins to reduce the risk of dementia.

References:

[1]Mediterranean diet adherence is associated with lower dementia risk, independent of genetic predisposition: fndings from the UK Biobank prospective cohort study

[2]WHO. Reducing the risk of cognitive decline and dementia

Author: Ruan Guangfeng, Director of the Science and Technology Department of the Kexin Food and Nutrition Information Exchange Center

Reviewer: Song Shuang, Associate Researcher, Institute of Nutrition and Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention

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