The best diet to prevent Alzheimer's disease

The present study published in Nature Mental Health obtained food-liking data from the United Kingdom (UK) Biobank. A total of 181,990 participants who completed a food-liking questionnaire were included. The mean age of the participants was 70.7 years, and about 57% were female.

Four distinct food-liking subtypes were identified among the studied participants: (1) starch-free or low-starch pattern (18.09%), (2) vegetarian pattern (5.54%), (3) high protein and low fiber pattern (19.39%), and (4) balanced pattern (56.98%). Quantitative scores confirmed the robustness of the relationship between food liking and actual food consumption patterns among the individuals.

The balanced pattern, subtype 4, showed the lowest measures for mental health issues and the highest scores for overall well-being and cognitive functions, indicating improved brain health and cognition than the other subtypes. On the other hand, subtypes 2 and 3 showed lower scores in well-being and higher scores in mental health issues.

In conclusion, the present study reveals that dietary patterns among the older population may significantly impact mental health, cognitive functions, genetics, and brain imaging. Emphasizing the importance of balanced diets, the findings call for early-age dietary education to promote long-term brain health. Further research is urged to explore the long-term associations between dietary patterns and brain health across various age groups, especially during adolescence and middle age.