get healthing in your inbox with the morning checkup and weekender newsletter!

dementia

study finds anti-inflammatory foods can lower dementia risk for those with cardiometabolic disease such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease and stroke

dementia risk was a significant 31 per cent lower for participants of the study who followed an anti-inflammatory diet compared to those who had a pro-inflammatory diet.

by karen hawthorne

published sep 05, 2024

5 minute read

join the conversation

5 minute read

join the conversation

anti-inflammatory foods include fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fish, and leafy greens. these foods help reduce inflammation in the body, protecting against diseases like heart disease and supporting brain health. getty images

a new study has found that eating whole grains, fruits and vegetables instead of inflammatory processed foods can lower the risk of dementia for people with cardiometabolic diseases such as heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes by 31 per cent. the right foods could be the best medicine for brain protection. in fact, dietary intervention could help change the trajectory of dementia in canada as cases are expected to increase by 187 per cent from 2020 to 2050, with more than 1.7 million people living with dementia by 2050.

the study from researchers in preventative medicine in sweden, china and the u.s., published recently in jama network open, investigated how diet-related inflammation affected older adults with cardiometabolic diseases, which are a group of common but usually preventable conditions like insulin resistance, non-2022年世界杯预选赛阿根廷 liver disease, heart attack, stroke and type 2 diabetes. some experts say that inflammation is the underlying mechanism that links all these conditions together.

not all inflammation is bad, however. it’s an important defence response by your immune system to heal acute injury or illness. but systemic inflammation that continues beyond its necessary function can become chronic, eventually damaging cells, tissues and organs.

why look at diet for help in solving dementia? there is mounting research behind foods that contribute to chronic inflammation, many of which are part of the typical western diet of red and processed meats, and ultra-processed foods like pop, sweet cereals and commercial baked goods. these are associated with raised levels of inflammatory biomarkers in the blood like c-reactive protein, interleukin 6 and tumor necrosis factor α, study authors explain. a host of other factors can influence inflammation as well, including pollution, smoking, radiation, plastics and pesticides.

on the other side of the eating equation, while there isn’t one specific anti-inflammatory diet, there are some food types that can help bring inflammation down. whole grains, fish, legumes, green leafy vegetables and fruits are associated with lower levels of inflammatory markers. how exactly foods impact inflammation isn’t understood, but anti-inflammatory elements like vitamins and carotenoids have a protective effect.

researchers analyzed data from more than 84,000 older adults from the uk biobank, an ongoing longitudinal study and biomedical database with genetic, lifestyle and health information and biological samples from a million uk participants.

the adults were aged 60 and older and free of dementia at the beginning of the study while 14,000 of them had one or more cardiometabolic disease.

each participant was asked five times about their consumption of 206 foods and 32 drinks that had been divided into levels of inflammatory and anti-inflammatory nutrients. the assessment was based on the dietary inflammatory index developed by the university of south carolina from 2011 to 2012. the tool can be used in any nutrition study that has dietary data and has played a valuable role in health science.

researchers looked at medical records over the next 15 years to determine any links between eating the least and the most amounts of inflammatory foods and diagnoses of dementia. as well, almost 9,000 participants had magnetic resonance imaging, or mri, brain scans.

dementia risk was a significant 31 per cent lower for participants who followed an anti-inflammatory diet compared to those who had a pro-inflammatory diet. brain scans of participants who ate the most anti-inflammatory foods had fewer signs of damage to the brain’s blood vessels, and a larger volume of gray matter associated with better cognitive and mental health. a larger brain structure represents a larger brain reserve to help buffer the late-life effects of dementia, according to uc davis health.

“in this large-scale study, we found that, among people with cardiometabolic diseases, following an anti-inflammatory diet compared with a proinflammatory diet was associated with a lower risk of dementia and significantly lower levels of mri markers of neurodegenerative and vascular brain damage,” the authors note.

“the association between cardiometabolic diseases and increased risk of dementia has been emphasized in recent studies, but few strategies for reducing dementia risk among older adults with cardiometabolic diseases have been identified. the present study highlights an anti-inflammatory diet as one potential approach.”

the study also showed that people with cardiometabolic diseases and an anti-inflammatory diet developed dementia two years later than those with a proinflammatory diet.

while the study is observational and doesn’t show exact cause and effect, it builds on previous research on the connection between diet and brain health.

this may, u.s.-based research in the neurology medical journal added to the literature, finding that a 10 per cent increase in the consumption of ultra-processed foods like candies, pop and hot dogs, was tied to a 12 per cent higher risk of cognitive decline.

a review of hundreds of epidemiological studies in the bmj in february found that higher exposure to ultra-processed foods comes with an increased risk of 32 adverse health outcomes including cancer, major heart and lung conditions, mental health disorders, and early death.

if you like your pop and chips at night with netflix, you’re not alone. in canada, people consume almost 50 per cent of their daily calories from ultra-processed foods, according to research by the heart and stoke foundation. they’re aggressively marketed, readily available and addictive, thanks to sugar, salt and fat, so eating healthy can be an uphill battle.

the current study authors note the results of their work can be interpreted within the framework of “inflammaging,” the theory that aging and the development of diseases in older people is rooted in the breakdown of the normal balance of proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory processes as we age.

they also raise questions for further investigation.

“a potential explanation for our results is that an anti-inflammatory diet might dampen systemic inflammation, especially among people with cardiometabolic diseases, thereby slowing the development of dementia.”

what’s clear is that there are huge potential benefits of eating anti-inflammatory foods (and swapping out the drive-through meal with a homemade sandwich) for cognitive and brain health. and understanding food choices can also be a game changer for people with heart disease, type 2 diabetes and non-2022年世界杯预选赛阿根廷 liver disease.

for more information on foods to choose and ones to limit, visit the canadian digestive health foundation and canada’s food guide.

karen hawthorne

karen hawthorne worked for six years as a digital editor for the national post, contributing articles on health, business, culture and travel for affiliated newspapers across canada. she now writes from her home office in toronto and takes breaks to bounce with her son on the backyard trampoline and walk bingo, her bull terrier.

study finds anti-inflammatory foods can lower dementia risk for those with cardiometabolic disease such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease and stroke

dementia risk was a significant 31 per cent lower for participants of the study who followed an anti-inflammatory diet compared to those who had a pro-inflammatory diet.

study links ultra-processed foods to increased risk of stroke and cognitive decline

severity of menopause symptoms linked to dementia: study

advertisement

study finds anti-inflammatory foods can lower dementia risk for those with cardiometabolic disease such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease and stroke

dementia risk was a significant 31 per cent lower for participants of the study who followed an anti-inflammatory diet compared to those who had a pro-inflammatory diet.

related stories

study links ultra-processed foods to increased risk of stroke and cognitive decline

severity of menopause symptoms linked to dementia: study

virtual reality transports seniors living with dementia to other worlds

advertisement

advertisement

advertisement

advertisement

advertisement

share story