Eating more eggs could reduce dementia risk

New research has recently found that eating more eggs could help reduce the risk of dementia.

Having a well-balanced diet is extremely important, whatever age you are. A diet rich in antioxidants and essential fatty acids is a must and you should always ensure you are getting a good amount of protein too as it can help energy levels.

It’s important that your diet is varied and enjoyable. Including colourful fruits and vegetables can liven up your plate and provide lots of nutrients too.

Eggs are full of vitamin D, which stimulates the production of serotonin in the brain. It’s a good idea to up your intake of eggs in the winter. We can lack vitamin D at this time of year due to there being less sun.

Research

Researchers at the University of Eastern Finland found that the risk of dementia is nearly 30% lower in men with a higher intake of dietary phosphatidylcholine.

Phosphatidylcholine is also linked to enhanced cognitive performance according to the researcher’s findings.

The main sources of dietary phosphatidylcholine are eggs and meat.

The team looked at data derived from a study on heart disease risk, which was originally carried out between 1984 and 1989 on 2,500 men between the ages of 42 and 60. The team looked at dietary lifestyle habits and general health.

The data was combined with the men’s hospital records, cause of death records and medication reimbursement records over the period of 22 years.

Four years after the study, approximately 500 men completed tests measuring their memory and cognitive processing. 337 men developed dementia.

The new analysis shows that the risk of dementia is 28% lower in men with the highest intake of dietary phosphatidylcholine when compared to men with the lowest intake.

Men with the highest intake of dietary phosphatidylcholine also excelled in tests measuring their memory and linguistic abilities.

The research team says the findings are significant and could play a vital role in the prevention of dementia. There is no cure for dementia. Small individual factors can have a positive effect on the overall risk, possibly by preventing or delaying the onset of the disease.

Improve your diet

You can read some of our past blogs on healthy eating below:

• Tips for elderly to eat well
• Healthy drink ideas for the elderly
• Why you should introduce cranberries into your diet
• The benefits of drinking lemon water
• Make room for mushrooms in your diet to help halt brain decline
• The health benefits of eating pumpkin
• How fish could help reduce risk of dementia
• The benefits of potassium in our diets
• Garlic – nature’s super food
• Keep your elderly loved-one’s health in check with kale.