Here are the foods that increase the risk of dementia...

Scientists tracked nearly 2,500 older adults and found that those with the unhealthiest diets—diets rich in red and processed meats like bacon and hamburger—developed brain and heart diseases more quickly than their peers.

In contrast, people who followed a Mediterranean-style diet rich in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts, legumes, and healthy fats had significantly fewer chronic conditions than those who followed the worst diet.

Another critical piece of data from the study is that diet has little effect on age-related joint problems like arthritis.

BIGGEST RISK: PROCESSED MEAT

The research, published in the journal Nature Aging, followed participants in the Swedish National Study on Aging and Care in Kungsholmen. The average age at baseline was 71, and half of the volunteers were women.

Participants in the study were followed for up to 15 years, and their diet quality was repeatedly assessed using food questionnaires. Participants were not assigned to specific eating plans. Instead, researchers looked at participants' typical eating patterns and scored them based on how similar they were to several known healthy eating patterns.

The Mediterranean diet, typical of Southern Europe, focuses on vegetables, fruits, whole grains, beans, nuts, fish, and olive oil, with very little red meat or processed foods. Incidentally, the Mediterranean diet is also highly effective for maintaining brain health.

Those with the unhealthiest diets (those high in red and processed meats like bacon and sausage) developed brain and heart disease more quickly than their peers.

BE CAREFUL WITH SALT AND SATURATED FATS!

Unprocessed foods include fruits, vegetables, nuts, eggs, and meat. Processed kitchen ingredients include oils, butter, sugar, and plenty of salt, which are not usually consumed alone.

The study also used the Alternative Healthy Eating Index (AHEI), a scoring system developed by Harvard researchers to reflect the foods that most consistently reduce the risk of major diseases.

The results encourage greater consumption of fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes, and healthy fats, while penalizing red and processed meat, sugary drinks, and trans fats.

DEMENTIA, DEPRESSION, PARKINSON...

The researchers analyzed not just individual conditions but also the total number of chronic diseases a person experiences as they age (multimorbidity).

These included heart disease, dementia, depression, Parkinson's, diabetes, cancer, and musculoskeletal problems such as arthritis or osteoporosis.

At the end of the follow-up period, people who ate the healthiest had, on average, two to three fewer chronic diseases than those who scored lowest on diet quality.

'DIET DOES NOT SOLVE MUSCLE-BONE PROBLEMS'

Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of dementia. The disease can cause anxiety, confusion, and short-term memory loss. Diet is strongly linked to the development of cardiovascular and neuropsychiatric conditions such as dementia, Parkinson's disease, and depression, but not musculoskeletal disorders.

The Mediterranean diet protects women the most

The protective effect of healthy eating patterns, such as the Mediterranean diet, was particularly evident in women and among the 'oldest old' (aged 78 years and over).

WHAT ARE ULTRA PROCESSED FOODS?

Ultra-processed foods are high in added fat, sugar, and salt, low in protein and fiber, and contain artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives. The term encompasses foods that contain ingredients like chemicals, colors, and preservatives that you wouldn't add when cooking at home.

Ready-made meals, ice cream, hot dogs, fried chicken, and ketchup are some popular examples. They differ from processed foods in that they are processed to make products like meat, cheese, and fresh bread last longer or enhance their flavor. Ultra-processed foods, on the other hand, are typically sold ready-to-eat, tasty, and inexpensive.

THE KEY TO HEALTH FOR AN AGING POPULATION: PROPER NUTRITION

"Our results show how important nutrition is in influencing the development of multiple diseases in aging populations," said co-author Adrián Carballo–Casla, a postdoctoral researcher at the Karolinska Institutet's Center for Aging Research.

A comprehensive study in April 2025 reported that ultra-processed foods make up more than half of the British diet and could cause 18,000 premature deaths each year, linked to diseases such as diabetes, cancer, heart disease and depression.

'THE NUMBER OF DEMENTIA PATIENTS WILL BE 150 MILLION IN 2050'

Dementia affects around 1 in 11 people over the age of 65 in the UK, and more than a million Britons are expected to be living with the condition by 2030.

Globally, the number of cases is expected to nearly triple to 150 million by 2050 as the population ages.

Heart disease and stroke remain the two biggest killers, accounting for around a quarter of all deaths in the UK.

Although death rates are falling thanks to advances in treatment and prevention, the number of people living with long-term disability caused by these conditions is rapidly increasing.

The study's authors noted that their findings add to growing evidence that dietary quality plays a key role in healthy aging and may slow the process of 'inflammaging,' which is low-level inflammation that builds up in the body with age and contributes to many diseases.

They added that the next step is to identify the nutritional recommendations that are likely to have the greatest impact on longevity and the groups of older adults most likely to benefit based on age, gender, social background and existing conditions.