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According to a new study from the University of South Australia, high long-term nut consumption could be the key to better cognitive health in the elderly.
In a study of 4822 Chinese adults aged 55 and older, researchers found that consumption of more than 10 grams of nuts per day was positively badociated with improved mental functioning, including improved thinking, reasoning and memory.
According to Dr. Ming Li, Principal Investigator at UniSA, the study is the first to report an badociation between cognition and nut consumption among older Chinese adults, providing important insights into growing mental health problems (including dementia ) facing an aging population.
"The aging of the population is one of the most important challenges of the 21st century.Not only do people live longer, but, with age, they need additional support in This is putting unprecedented pressure on the health and care services for the elderly, "said Dr. Li.
"In China, it is a huge problem because the population is aging much faster than almost every other country in the world.
"Improved and preventative health care, including dietary modifications, can help address the challenges posed by an aging population.
"By eating more than 10 grams (or two teaspoons) of nuts a day, older people could improve their cognitive function by up to 60% – compared to those who do not consume them – by avoiding effectively what would normally be experienced as a natural experience at two, cognitive decline of the year ".
China has one of the fastest growing aging populations. By 2029, the Chinese population is expected to peak at 1.44 billion, with the youth-to-old ratio being dramatically unbalanced by the growing number of older people. By 2050, 330 million Chinese will be over 65 and 90.4 million over 80, representing the largest population of this age group among the oldest.
More generally, the World Health Organization says that by 2020, the number of people aged 60 and over will be greater than the number of children under five.
The UniSA study badyzed nine waves of data from the 22-year China Nutrition and Nutrition Survey and found that 17% of participants regularly ate nuts (mainly peanuts). According to Dr. Li, peanuts have specific anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects that can alleviate and reduce cognitive decline.
"Nuts are known to be rich in healthy fats, protein and fiber, with nutritional properties that can lower cholesterol and improve cognitive health," says Dr. Li.
"Although there is no cure for age-related cognitive decline and neurodegenerative disease, variations in people's diets bring improvements to the elderly."
The World Health Organization estimates that 47 million people worldwide have dementia.
By 2030, this figure is expected to reach 75 million and by 2050 the number of dementia cases worldwide is expected to almost triple. China has the largest population of people with dementia.
"As people age, they naturally experience changes in conceptual reasoning, memory, and speed of treatment, all part of the normal aging process," says Dr. Li.
"But age is also the most important risk factor known for cognitive diseases.If we can find ways to help older people maintain their cognitive health and autonomy longer, even by altering their diet, so it's worth it. "
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NOTE TO EDITORS:
This document was published online on October 29, 2018, before publication of the report printed in February 2019.
Media: Annabel Mansfield: Office +61 8 8302 0351 | mobile: +61 417 717 504
email: [email protected]
Principal Investigator: Dr. Ming Li: Office + 61 8 8302 1051 | [email protected]
Warning: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of the news releases published on EurekAlert! contributing institutions or for the use of any information via the EurekAlert system.
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