An apple a day keeps the doctor away, say the English – and science confirms this.
A new study from China’s Tianjin Medical University concludes that swapping 50 grams of highly processed foods every day for super-fresh foods can reduce the risk of developing dementia by 3 percent.
Reducing your intake of highly processed foods by 10 percent and eating fresh fruits, vegetables, grains or whole meats instead reduces the risk of dementia by as much as 19 percent, the study concludes.
The researchers analyzed the eating habits and development of dementia in 72,083 British citizens using the UK Biobank, a health database.
What is Highly Processed Food?
There are four categories of how much a food has been processed.
The first category is for foods that are not or minimally processed. These include fresh fruits and vegetables, beans, nuts, grains, eggs, milk, fish, fresh meat, frozen fruits and vegetables, pasteurized milk, fruit juice without additives, unsweetened yogurt and spices.
The second category is processed ingredients such as oil, butter, vinegar, sugar and salt.
The third category is processed foods, which are a combination of the first two categories, such as smoked or spiced meats, cheese, bread, salted or candied nuts, beer and wine. The processing usually aims to extend the shelf life of the product.
The last category is highly processed foods, such as bread with additives, ready meals, breakfast cereals, soft drinks and processed meats.
The study concludes that the risk of dementia can be increased by as much as 25 percent if you consume only 10 percent more highly processed food.
Among the 72,083 British citizens whose diets were analysed, soft drinks and other sweets such as sweets and pastries topped the list of most consumed highly processed foods.
There is also good news
In the introduction to the study, lead researcher Huiping Li explains that previous studies had already shown a link between the intake of highly processed foods and depression, diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular disease.
But according to Huiping Li’s research, you can reduce the risk of all those diseases — plus dementia — by changing your eating habits.
“It’s encouraging to know that you can also reduce the risk of dementia with a small change in your diet,” she says.
Why is it unhealthy?
Since highly processed foods range from breads with additives to ready meals and breakfast cereals, it can be difficult to see what the common denominator is.
But according to a BBC article, the main problem is that the extensive processing changes the structure and nutritional value of the product.
The fiber and nutrients naturally found in unprocessed plants and meats help keep your digestive system healthy.
If the highly processed food replaces fruit, vegetables, grains and meat, this can lead to an unhealthy intestinal flora.
In addition, there may be chemicals in the packaging of highly processed foods, which also negatively affect the intestinal flora.
Strong connection between brain, stomach and intestines
It’s no news that bacteria on and in the body help you stay healthy. And especially in your digestive system, bacteria are hard at work.
The many bacteria that live here naturally help digest the food you eat. But they also produce important vitamins and protect you from disease-causing bacteria or viruses that make their way into the body.
For example, some bacteria – such as bifidobacteria – can help to increase the amount of serotonin in the body. This is a neurotransmitter that reduces stress and regulates appetite, sleep and memory, among other things.
In addition, researchers have found a link between the development of dementia and a reduced number of bifido and Firmicutes bacteria in the digestive system.