Consuming a certain popular breakfast item could potentially decrease your risk of dementia, suggests recent research. The study indicates that consuming more than one serving of this food per week could lessen your likelihood of developing Alzheimer’s disease.
Dementia is a progressive condition affecting nearly one million individuals in the UK. This syndrome gradually impairs cognitive functions, resulting in symptoms like memory loss and behavioural alterations.
While developing dementia can sometimes be a matter of genetics and therefore somewhat unavoidable, experts point out that almost half of dementia cases might be prevented through certain changes in lifestyle. These adjustments include giving up smoking, cutting back on alcohol intake, and keeping an eye on blood pressure levels.
Nutrition also plays a pivotal role, with health bodies recommending either a balanced diet or following a Mediterranean eating pattern to minimise the risk of dementia. A particular study has linked the consumption of eggs to a lower chance of Alzheimer’s disease, which is the most common type of dementia in the UK.
The findings from this study, published in the Journal of Nutrition, suggest that eating eggs might help in preventing the condition. The study authors emphasise that eggs are rich in nutrients that are “important for brain health”, such as choline, omega-3 fatty acids, and lutein.
The research team from the US examined data involving over 1,000 elderly participants. Their eating patterns were documented using a food frequency questionnaire, which kept track of how many eggs they consumed each week.
Over about six years of follow-up, 280 subjects were diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. It was observed that those who ate more than one egg weekly appeared to have a lower risk of dementia than their counterparts who consumed fewer.
Scientists highlighted the possible advantages of eggs in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease (AD), which is becoming increasingly prevalent. With an ageing population at hand, researchers have pointed out, “Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder with increasing prevalence due to population ageing.
“Eggs provide many nutrients important for brain health, including choline, omega-3 fatty acids, and lutein.” Further, they proposed that “Emerging evidence suggests that frequent egg consumption may improve cognitive performance on verbal tests, but whether consumption influences the risk of Alzheimer’s dementia and AD is unknown.”
The study underscored the impact of choline found in eggs. They said: “39 per cent of the total effect of egg intake on incident Alzheimer’s dementia was mediated through dietary choline.”
Concluding their research, scientists stated: “These findings suggest that frequent egg consumption is associated with a lower risk of Alzheimer’s dementia and AD pathology, and the association with Alzheimer’s dementia is partially mediated through dietary choline.”
In separate research, a 2022 article in Frontiers in Nutrition reported that egg consumption correlated with a lower risk of dementia, notably Alzheimer’s. This link was distinctly present in individuals who weren’t already following a Mediterranean diet, admired for its copious amounts of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fats.
For reducing dementia risks, the NHS recommends:
- Adopting a balanced diet
- Staying at a healthy weight
- Engaging in regular physical activities
- Moderating alcohol intake within the recommended guidelines
- Ceasing smoking habits
- Maintaining healthy blood pressure levels.