Plant-Based Diet Could Help Middle-Aged Women Slow Cognitive Decline in Later Life, Study Says

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The results could have implications for the 6.5 million Americans who were diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease last year.


A study into women’s health has found that a heart-healthy diet for those in their forties could help lower the onset of cognitive decline in later life.

In America, around 6.5 million people over the age of 65 were diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease last year. And women make up over two-thirds of those diagnosed with the disease, which is the most prevalent form of dementia.

Now, these new findings could have implications to help combat the disease. Led by researchers from NYU Grossman School of Medicine, the study suggests that women who adopt a healthier diet in middle age - specifically the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, commonly referred to as the DASH diet - may improve cognitive function later in life. 

The researchers describe the DASH diet as including a high consumption of plant-based foods that are rich in potassium, calcium, and magnesium, with a limit of saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, and sugar. The diet is said to help with high blood pressure, particularly in midlife, which is a risk factor for cognitive decline and dementia. 

Published in the journal Alzheimer’s & Dementia, the study analyzed data from over 5,000 of the 14,000 women enrolled in the NYU Women’s Health Study, said to be one of the longest-running studies of its kind. 

The participants were given diet questionnaires between 1985 and 1991 at an average age of 49 years old. More than 30 years later, participants, then at an average age of 79, were asked to report any cognitive complaints. 

Of the six cognitive complaints, 33 percent of women reported having more than one. Women who adhered most closely to the DASH diet had a 17 percent reduction in the odds of reporting multiple cognitive complaints, the study found.

“Our data suggests that it is important to start a healthy diet in midlife to prevent cognitive impairment in older age,” said Yixiao Song, a lead author of the study.

“Following the DASH diet may not only prevent high blood pressure, but also cognitive issues,” added Fen Wu, PhD, a co-lead of the study.

Health Benefits of a Plant-Based Diet

The NYU Grossman School of Medicine study is the latest research that suggests a plant-rich diet can help lower dementia risk. Earlier this year, another study found that eating lots of plant-based foods may have a “protective effect” against dementia, and could lower the risk of the disease by almost a quarter - regardless of a person’s genetic risk. 

The health benefits of eating more plants also include fighting lifestyle-related chronic diseases, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and hypertension.  

This has led to an increase in government initiatives that promote healthy plant-based foods to help improve public health and help combat chronic disease. At this year’s U.S. Conference of Mayors, over one-thousand mayors supported a resolution to recognize and promote a plant-based approach to help solve high-rates of chronic disease and associated health cost issues.   

 The resolution was inspired by NYC Mayor Eric Adams, who has already launched several successful plant-based initiatives to help improve the city's health. This includes public schools introducing an entirely vegan menu every Friday as part of the Plant-Power Fridays initiative, and public hospitals serving plant-based meals as the default option - a program which has seen more than half of all patients choosing the plant-based meal despite being welcome to request meat options instead.  


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