Fast food could cause dementia – and damage is "irreversible," say scientists – The Sun



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It's no secret that fast food is not the best fit for our waistlines, but scientists say it could cause dementia right now.

Experts say poor eating habits and lack of exercise expose people to a significant decline in brain function.

    Fast food could increase risk of dementia, say scientists

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Fast food could increase risk of dementia, say scientistsCredit: Getty – Contributor

A team from the Australian National University discovered that people consumed 650 extra calories a day, compared to what we ate 50 years ago.

It's the equivalent of a hamburger, fries and a soft drink.

But they say they have proven that there is a clear link between increased consumption and brain damage.

Professor Nicolas Cherbuin, Research Manager published in Frontiers in Neuroendocrinology, said, "We have found strong evidence that poor eating habits and lack of exercise for a prolonged period expose them to a significant risk of developing Type 2 diabetes and a significant decrease in brain function, such as dementia and narrowing of the brain.

"People are gnawing their brains with a very bad fast food diet and little or no exercise."

"The decline is faster than expected"

Professor Cherbuin also found that brain health can deteriorate much earlier in life than expected.

However, he says this largely to a society that promotes unhealthy lifestyle choices.

He said: "The damage is almost irreversible once a person reaches quarantine. We encourage everyone to eat healthy and get in shape as soon as possible – preferably during childhood, but certainly from the very beginning of adulthood.

"Many people with dementia and other signs of cognitive dysfunction, including narrowing of the brain, have increased their risk throughout their lives by eating too much bad food and not exercising enough.

What is dementia and are there different types?

Dementia is a general term used to describe the deterioration of a person's mental capacity that is serious enough to affect his or her daily life.

He is known for his problems of reflection, reasoning and memory, because it is the areas of the brain that are damaged.

Dementia can be divided into two main groups:

  • Cortical, which causes severe memory loss like that seen in Alzheimer's disease,
  • Subcortical, which affects the speed of thought and activity, as in Parkinson's disease.

Vascular dementia and Alzheimer's disease are two of the most common forms and both cause memory problems.

Both are rare in people under 65 years of age.

Other common forms of dementia are frontotemporal dementia, mainly diagnosed in people under 65, and Lewy body dementia, where nerve damage progressively worsens over time, resulting in slower movement.

Scientists have recently discovered a new form of dementia that has often been confused with Alzheimer's disease.

They say that's one of the reasons why the search for a cure for dementia has failed so far.

He stated that people were generally only invited to reduce their risk of brain problems, such as dementia, once they had already reached the age of 60 and that 39, it was often a case of "too little, too late".

It is the diets of children and young adults that are essential.

"One of the best chances for people to avoid avoidable brain problems in the future is to eat well and exercise from an early age."

One of the best chances to avoid preventable brain problems is to eat well and exercise from a very young age.

Professor Nicolas CherbuinAustralian National University

The research examined the results of about 200 international studies, including the PATH (Through) Personality and Total Health Project in the Australian Capital Territory and Queanbeyan, which tracked brain health and the aging of more than 7,000 people.

According to the study, about 30% of the global adult population is overweight or obese, and more than 10% of the adult population will suffer from type 2 diabetes by 2030.

"The link between type 2 diabetes and the rapid deterioration of brain function is already well established," said Professor Cherbuin.

"But our work shows that neurodegeneration, or the loss and function of neurons, is much earlier – we have found a clear association between this deterioration of the brain and unhealthy lifestyle choices."

Obesity crisis

He added that the amount of extra energy consumed daily compared to 50 years ago means that people have an unhealthy diet.

Another problem is that people eat too much of the wrong type of food, such as fast food, which is low in nutrients and high in calories.

He said: "As a society, we have to stop asking," do you want fries with that? "

"If we do not, expect to see more overweight and obese people with serious illnesses.

"The message is simple, but bringing positive change will be a big challenge. Individuals, parents, health professionals and governments all have an important role to play. "

A version of this original article appeared on news.com.au

The brothers and sisters were both diagnosed with a rare condition that left them with epilepsy and dementia


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