One of the scariest parts of aging is having to wonder how your brain and cognition will change over time, especially if you’ve seen people in your family experience significant memory loss later in life. One of the most common ways people experience memory changes as they age is through dementia.
Dementia is not a specific disease as some people may think, but rather it is a term used for a decline in certain cognitive functions, such as memory, that affects your daily life. Dementia is quite common and affects around 6 million Americansbut it is more serious than the mild memory loss that can occur with natural aging.
There are many factors that can affect your risk of developing dementia later in life. Things like your eating habits, daily movement practices, age, and genetics may play a role in your risk of dementia. And according to a study published in the Japanese Journal of Human Health Sciences-Social Services, Skipping breakfast is a daily habit that can increase your risk by up to four times.
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The Japanese study, which was carried out over a period of six years, closely followed a rural farming community in Japan, just outside a larger city. More than 500 adults participated in this study, all of whom were 65 years of age or older at the time the study began.
Several habits were closely examined with this cohort, including skip breakfast, snack during the daynot looking at salt intake and not looking at what nutrients were consumed.
Of all these factors, the one that seemed to have the most significant impact was skip breakfast. For those who did not eat a morning meal, the diagnosis of dementia was four times higher than for those who did. While breakfast was the most important factor in this study, all four daily habits had an impact on dementia diagnoses, revealing how important your diet is in reducing risk.
Not only is it important to eat breakfast, but it’s also crucial to focus on a nutrient-rich breakfast to take care of your brain health. According to a Japanese study of the University of Tsukuba, diets high in Soluble fiber they were known to reduce the risk of dementia in adults.
To get some healthy fiber into your morning routine, try a hearty bowl of oatmeal with your nuts, seeds or Fruit on top!
