In a new study, researchers studied data from 139,000 older Australians and found strong links between certain food, memory loss, and heart disease or diabetes.
The research was conducted by a team from the University of Technology, Sydney.
Memory loss is one of the main early symptoms for people with dementia, which is the second leading cause of death of Australians.
People living with dementia have on average between two and eight comorbid conditions, which may accelerate cognitive and functional impairment.
The most common comorbidities in dementia include cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and high blood pressure.
The team used data collected by the Sax Institute’s 45 and Up Study, the largest ongoing study of healthy aging in the Southern Hemisphere.
They found high consumption of fruit and vegetables was linked to lowered odds of memory loss and its comorbid heart disease.
High consumption of protein-rich foods was linked to better memory.
The team also found the link between a food group and memory status may vary among different older age groups.
People aged 80 years and over with low consumption of cereals are at the highest risk of memory loss and its comorbid heart disease.
The study implies cereal consumption in the prevention of memory loss and comorbid heart disease for older people.
It pointed to a need for age-specific healthy dietary guidelines.
One author of the study is UTS research fellow Dr. Luna Xu.
The study is published in the International Journal of Public Health.
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