A recent study by researchers at Bond University has found a strong connection between eating meat-based and processed foods and the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
This research, involving 438 Australians, including 108 with Alzheimer’s and 330 healthy individuals, adds to the growing body of evidence about the impact of diet on brain health.
Published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, the study analyzed data from the Australian Imaging Biomarker and Lifestyle Study of Aging.
The findings found that people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s tended to consume meat-based and processed foods more frequently, including items like meat pies, sausages, ham, pizza, and hamburgers.
Conversely, this group also showed a lower intake of fruits and vegetables, such as oranges, strawberries, avocado, capsicum, cucumber, carrots, cabbage, and spinach.
Additionally, their consumption of both red and white wine was comparatively lower than that of the healthy control group.
Alzheimer’s disease, a fatal form of dementia with no current treatment or cure, affects a big portion of the Australian population, particularly those over the age of 65.
As the leading cause of death and disability in older Australians, understanding potential risk factors is crucial.
The study’s lead author, Ph.D. candidate Tahera Ahmed, emphasizes the importance of eating healthier diets from a young age to protect brain health later in life.
She points out that the development of Alzheimer’s begins in middle age and is influenced by lifestyle choices made at a younger age.
The team advocates for raising awareness among young people about the benefits of consuming leafy greens, organic foods, and home-cooked meals, as opposed to regularly indulging in processed or junk foods.
This research is believed to be the first to directly link processed foods with Alzheimer’s, building upon previous studies that highlighted the positive effects of diets like the Mediterranean or DASH diets on brain health.
If you care about Alzheimer’s, please read studies about the likely cause of Alzheimer’s disease , and new non-drug treatment that could help prevent Alzheimer’s.
For more information about brain health, please see recent studies about diet that may help prevent Alzheimer’s, and results showing some dementia cases could be prevented by changing these 12 things.
The research findings can be found in Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease.
