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

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.

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.

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.

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 .

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.