2023-12-16 18:27:44
New Study: Diet Can Significantly Impact Risk of Alzheimer’s Disease
A startling 55 million people worldwide are affected by dementia, with 1.8 million cases in Germany alone. The German Alzheimer Society predicts that this number will rise to a staggering 139 million worldwide by the year 2050. In light of these statistics, researchers are constantly seeking ways to mitigate the risk and impact of Alzheimer’s disease.
Now, a new study from the University of São Paulo in Brazil has revealed groundbreaking findings about the influence of diet on the risk of developing Alzheimer’s. The study, which spanned a period of 10 years and included over 10,000 test subjects, focused on the effects of different types of diets on cognitive function.
The subjects were divided into categories based on the types of food they consumed: low-processed foods (such as fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grain products, meat, fish, and milk), processed foods (including canned fruits, bread, cheese, and salted, smoked, or preserved meat and fish products), and highly processed foods (such as industrially processed foods with many additives).
The results of the study were alarming: subjects who primarily consumed highly processed foods were found to have a 28 percent higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. Astonishingly, as little as 400 calories of highly processed foods per day were enough to significantly increase this risk. Conversely, the study also found that subjects who consumed 80 percent of their diet with unprocessed foods showed no signs of cognitive or executive decline.
This finding leads to the possibility of the “80/20 rule,” suggesting that if 80 percent of one’s diet consists of nutrient-dense, unprocessed foods, the remaining 20 percent can be more flexibly structured.
In addition to diet, other factors also influence the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, including head injuries, excessive alcohol consumption, and fine dust exposure. With the prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease set to rise significantly in the coming decades, these findings shed light on the critical role of diet in shaping one’s risk of developing this devastating condition.]
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