New research finds that following a diet rich in plant-based foods and low in animal products during midlife is associated with a significantly lower risk of cognitive impairment later in life.

Share on Pinterest Eating a plant-based diet in midlife may prevent later cognitive decline.

According to the latest estimates from the United Nations, there are currently 137 million people over the age of 80 worldwide. Experts expect this number to triple by 2050, reaching 425 million.

The number of people with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia is also on the rise. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in the United States alone, there are currently 5 million adults living with Alzheimer’s. This number is also likely to triple within the next few decades.

As the population continues to age, it is becoming increasingly important to be able to identify modifiable risk factors for conditions such as Alzheimer’s, as well as any lifestyle changes that may prevent neurodegenerative conditions such as this from developing in the first place.

New research points to nutrition as one such factor. Eating a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains and low in animal products such as meat and dairy lowers the risk of cognitive decline in later life, suggests the new study.

Koh Woon Puay, a professor at the National University of Singapore’s (NUS) Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health and the Duke-NUS Medical School, is the principal investigator of the study. The team’s results appear in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.