“A daily addition” to your diet may reduce the risk of dementia

A new study has found that people who eat whole grains daily, which may also include healthy popcorn, may be less likely to suffer from dementia.

Researchers at Rush University in Chicago made this discovery after tracking 3,300 adults, who were on average 75 years old and did not suffer from dementia, for six years and tested their cognitive abilities, such as having to remember a list of words, remember numbers and return them to the correct order.

They found that those who ate three or more ounces of whole grains daily, such as lightly salted popcorn or quinoa, had a slower rate of cognitive decline compared to those who barely ate grains.

The researchers observed the effect only in black participants, who constitute 60% of the study participants.

They may not have seen the same thing among white participants, because there were so few in the study.

It has also been shown that people who eat whole grains are also more likely to follow a healthy lifestyle, such as sleeping or exercising more, which also helps reduce the risk of dementia.

Whole grains contain a very high percentage of fiber, which slows the absorption of sugar into the bloodstream and prevents high blood sugar, which can cause plaque in the arteries and inflammation, which increases the risk of dementia.

It is noteworthy that the study is observational, and was unable to prove that eating popcorn alone reduces the risk of dementia.

It also did not take into account toppings placed on popcorn, such as butter and sugar, which may increase the risk of dementia by increasing the risk of obesity.

Study limitations include self-reporting of diets, with participants not being asked to provide evidence of the whole grains they ate.

The study was published in Neurology.

Source: Daily Mail - https://r.rtarabic.com/wh2m