Scientists from the University of Tsukuba found that fiber is also important for a healthy brain.
They found that a high-fiber diet is linked to a reduced risk of developing dementia.
The research is published in Nutritional Neuroscience and was conducted by Professor Kazumasa Yamagishi et al.
Dietary fiber is known to be vitally important for a healthy digestive system and also has heart benefits like reduced cholesterol.
In the study, researchers used data that were collected from thousands of adults in Japan for a large study that started in the 1980s.
Participants completed surveys that assessed their dietary intake between 1985 and 1999. They were generally healthy and aged between 40 and 64 years.
They were then followed up from 1999 until 2020, and it was noted whether they developed dementia that required care.
The researchers found that the groups who ate higher levels of fiber had a lower risk of developing dementia.
The team also examined whether there were differences between the two main types of fiber: soluble and insoluble fibers.
Soluble fibers, found in foods such as oats and legumes, are important for the beneficial bacteria that live in the gut as well as providing other health benefits.
Insoluble fibers, found in whole grains, vegetables, and some other foods, are known to be important for bowel health.
The researchers found that the link between fiber intake and dementia was more pronounced for soluble fibers.
The team has some ideas as to what might underlie the link between dietary fiber and the risk of dementia.
They say the mechanisms are currently unknown but might involve the interactions that take place between the gut and the brain.
One possibility is that soluble fiber regulates the composition of gut bacteria. This composition may affect neuroinflammation, which plays a role in the onset of dementia.
It’s also possible that dietary fiber may reduce other risk factors for dementia, such as body weight, blood pressure, lipids, and glucose levels.
If you care about dementia, please read studies about how unhealthy blood pressure increases dementia risk, and this type of drug may increase dementia risk.
For more information about dementia, please see recent studies about why people with type 2 diabetes develop dementia, and results showing a healthy lifestyle can lower dementia risk despite family history of dementia.
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