TOKYO, April 17 – Research shows that eating traditional Japanese foods such as green tea, seaweed and fish may protect against age-related brain shrinkage, a common marker of cognitive decline and dementia. It has been suggested that it may be useful. However, this study reported that this beneficial effect was only observed in women.
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It is a well-known fact that Japan, especially Okinawa, located in the southern part of the country not far from Taiwan, is known for its high number of centenarians. In fact, there are many elderly people over 100 years old living in the peaceful Japanese archipelago. Apart from their mental state and active lifestyle, their diet is also thought to contribute to their longevity, as detailed by Japan Airlines. All kinds of vegetables, as well as rice, fish and seaweed, are on the menu of these famous centenarians. However, they are not the only people in Japan who follow this traditional diet.
That’s a good thing, because research suggests these eating habits may help prevent age-related brain atrophy, especially in women. In older people, this type of brain atrophy can lead to cognitive decline and dementia. “Adherence to a healthy dietary pattern with higher intakes of whole grains, seafood, vegetables, fruits, mushrooms, soy products, and green tea may have a protective effect against brain atrophy in middle-aged and older Japanese women, but This is not the case for men,” concluded the study, published in the Nutrition Journal.
The study involved a total of 1,636 Japanese adults aged 40 to 89 and was supported by Japan’s National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology and the University of Liverpool in the UK. The participant’s diet was monitored for two years and it was possible to determine the three main dietary types. A diet consisting mainly of vegetables, fruits, and dairy products. And finally, traditional Japanese eating habits. The findings suggest that the secret to women’s cognitive health may lie in consuming green tea, mushrooms, miso, and other typical Japanese foods. In fact, women who follow a traditional Japanese diet were found to have less brain atrophy compared to those who follow a Western diet. The same was not true for men. ― ETX Studio
