An Unobvious Link Between Diet and Dementia Development Discovered 0 9

The quality of carbohydrates in the diet is directly related to the risk of developing dementia, a large study by researchers from the Rovira i Virgili University has shown. The work, published in the International Journal of Epidemiology (IJE), is based on data from over 200,000 adults in the United Kingdom, who were monitored for an average of 13 years.

Researchers assessed participants' diets based on the glycemic index — a measure of how quickly foods raise blood sugar levels. It was found that diets with low and moderate glycemic indexes (fruits, whole grains, legumes) were associated with a 16 percent reduction in the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, while diets with high indexes (white bread, potatoes, refined products) increased the risk of dementia by 14 percent.

During the observation period, dementia developed in 2,362 participants. Statistical analysis showed that it is the quality of carbohydrates, rather than just their quantity, that plays a key role in long-term brain health, affecting glucose and insulin metabolism — processes closely linked to neurodegenerative processes.

The authors emphasize that the findings strengthen the arguments for dementia prevention through diet: shifting the diet towards "slow" carbohydrates could be a simple and accessible measure to reduce the risk of cognitive impairment in older age.