Dementia, a general term for symptoms associated with deterioration of the brain, will accelerate in the coming decades as more Britons enter old age.
Health systems are preparing for a crisis, but its impact can still be mitigated. This is because there are proven ways to modify the risk of dementia.
Ongoing research is shedding light on the role diet plays in causing brain decline.
According to Dr. Michelle Luciano of the University of Edinburgh, you need to be careful with unsaturated fats if you want to keep your brain in good shape.
Saturated fats, which are often hard at room temperature, are linked to poor cardiovascular outcomes, and what’s bad for your heart is invariably bad for your brain.
Pointing to some of the worst offenders, including butter, palm oil, dairy and meat, Dr. Luciana explained how saturated fats can undermine brain health.
Speaking to Age UK, the doctor said saturated fat intake has been “linked to worsening thinking skills in old age”.
What the evidence says
In a study published last year in The American Journal of Human Nutritionthe researchers found that people with higher levels of saturated fat in their blood are more likely to develop dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease, the most common type.
A team led by Dr. Majken Jensen and Dr. Manja Koch, both affiliated with the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, looked for 45 different types of fat particles that might be circulating in the blood of 1,252 elderly people, 498 of whom they developed dementia within five years of having their blood drawn.
The participants were part of the Gingko Evaluation of Memory Study (GEMS), a clinical trial originally designed to examine the preventive effect of ginkgo biloba on dementia in older adults.
Using blood samples collected from the trial, these researchers found that people with higher levels of saturated fat in their blood were more likely to experience cognitive losses and develop Alzheimer’s disease than people with higher levels of linoleic acid, an acid polyunsaturated omega-6 fat found in many vegetable oils.
Scientists had already begun to link a higher intake of dietary saturated fat with an increased risk of dementia and cognitive decline, but this study is one of the first to use blood tests on such a large number of people to understand the link between diet and the hindbrain. Health.
In the future, researchers are likely to look at the effects of specific fat-related dietary interventions on dementia and Alzheimer’s risk.
UK Saturated Fat Guidelines
UK health guidelines recommend that you:
- The average man ages 19 to 64 should eat no more than 30 g of saturated fat per day.
- The average woman ages 19 to 64 should eat no more than 20 g of saturated fat per day.
It is also recommended that people reduce their total fat intake and replace saturated fats with some unsaturated fats, including omega-3 fats.
There are practical tips to help you specifically reduce saturated fat.
According to the NHS, nutrition labels on the front and back of packs can help you reduce your intake of saturated fat.
“Aim to choose products with green or amber for saturated fats,” advises the health body.
“There can be a big difference in saturated fat content between similar products.”
The NHS also recommends choosing foods low in saturated fat.
“Serving sizes can also vary, so be sure to compare similar products. The easiest way to do this is by looking at the nutritional content per 100g.”
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