Food insecurity has been associated with accelerated cognitive decline and brain aging in older adults.
- Food insecurity has been associated with accelerated cognitive decline.
- Seniors who do not have enough to eat see their brain age by about 4 years.
- The study shows the importance of having access to healthy food or food aid programs.
Having a varied and balanced diet is one of the recommendations given to reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. And a new study from Pennsylvania State University confirms the importance of what’s on the plate as you age. It shows that food insecurity leads to accelerated brain aging.
Dementia: food insecurity causes the brain to age by about 4 years
To determine the effect of food insecurity on the elderly, Muzi Na, assistant professor of nutritional sciences at Penn State, gathered a representative sample of 4,578 elderly people using data from the US National Health and Aging Trends survey. Study, 2012-20. Participants had to report whether they had enough to eat and whether or not they benefited from the US food assistance program called the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
The researchers found that food-insecure adults experienced faster cognitive declines than those who had no food concerns. They also showed that participation in SNAP could help protect the brain from premature aging.
Indeed, rates of cognitive loss were similar in SNAP participants and ineligible individuals. They were both slower than the decline seen in people who did not take advantage of the food program despite meeting the eligibility criteria.
“The higher rate of cognitive decline observed in the food-insecure group was equivalent to 3.8 years longer, while the higher rate of cognitive decline observed in the SNAP-eligible non-participant group was equivalent to 4. 5 more years”specify the researchers in the communicatedpublished on February 17, 2023.
Cognitive decline: we must promote access to assistance programs
For scientists, their work, presented in The Journal of Nutritionshow that it is necessary to facilitate access to healthy and nutritious food.
“For an aging population, about four years of brain aging can be very significant”explains Professor Muzi Na. “These results really underscore the importance of food security for people as they age and the value that the SNAP Assistance Program can have in improving the cognitive health of individuals as they age. We need to make sure people have access to – and encourage them to use – food assistance programs as they age.”says the expert.
