Dementia can be a distressing and debilitating condition, but a new study has suggested that increasing your intake of one particular food could help lower your risk.
Tucking into a beloved breakfast staple might just be the ticket to lowering your dementia risk, new research suggests. A study has found that indulging in more than one of these each week could slash your chances of being hit by Alzheimer’s disease.
Dementia – the progressive syndrome that impairs cognitive function – is currently affecting close to a million people across the UK. The condition gradually leads to a deterioration in cognitive functions, including memory loss and can even alter behaviour.
Although genetics play a role in the risk of developing dementia, studies indicate that almost 45-per cent of cases could potentially be prevented with a few simple lifestyle changes.
These preventative measures include giving up smoking, cutting down on alcohol consumption and keeping blood pressure in check. Diet also plays a pivotal role, with health experts recommending a balanced or Mediterranean diet to help reduce the risk of dementia.
One specific food has now been linked with a lower likelihood of developing Alzheimer’s disease, which is the most common type of dementia in the UK. Research published in the Journal of Nutrition points to eggs as a beneficial food in the fight against this condition, reports the Express.
The study’s authors point out that eggs are packed full of nutrients that are “important for brain health”, such as choline, omega-3 fatty acids, and lutein.
A US-based research team has made a breakthrough in dietary links to Alzheimer’s dementia by pouring over data from over 1,000 elderly participants. Keeping tabs on what they ate, the study followed how many eggs they consumed each week.
Over six years, they watched as 280 individuals were diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. According to the findings, those cracking open more than one egg weekly seemed to have a reduced risk of dementia when compared to those who consumed less.
The spotlight is on eggs in the latest research addressing the fight against Alzheimer’s disease, as experts expose the beneficial nutrients for brain health that eggs offer. They said: “Alzheimer’s disease is a neurodegenerative disorder with increasing prevalence due to population ageing. Eggs provide many nutrients important for brain health, including choline, omega-3 fatty acids, and lutein.”
Further insights from the study indicate promising evidence where eggs might boost mental prowess, particularly verbal skills. They added: “Emerging evidence suggests that frequent egg consumption may improve cognitive performance on verbal tests, but whether consumption influences the risk of Alzheimer’s dementia and AD is unknown.”
Wrapping up their findings, the study concluded: “These findings suggest that frequent egg consumption is associated with a lower risk of Alzheimer’s dementia and AD pathology, and the association with Alzheimer’s dementia is partially mediated through dietary choline.”
The results are supported by a 2022 study in Frontiers in Nutrition, which also found a link between eating eggs and a reduced risk of dementia, and specifically Alzheimer’s.
However, this connection was only seen in people who weren’t already following a Mediterranean diet, which is rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fats.
The NHS has several tips to help lower the risk of dementia.
