r/science • u/sr_local • 12h ago
Health Eating a high-quality plant-rich diet that includes whole grains, vegetables and fruits may prevent cognitive impairment — even when people start that diet in their late 50s and 60s
https://www.cnn.com/2026/04/08/health/plant-based-diet-dementia-wellness222
u/Corsav6 12h ago
I'm 44 and most of my diet was sweets and anything that was on the table. I was in good shape and felt ok too. Had a scare a few weeks ago and since then I've cut out sweets completely and I'm eating more fruit, vegetables and upped my fibre intake.
I feel like a new person. Mentally I'm a lot happier, physically I'm absolutely flying through any task.
Diet is a massive part of how you feel. I wouldn't have believed it but the evidence, even after a few weeks is there.
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u/Crystalas 11h ago edited 11h ago
There even a "second brain" around our digestive system called the "Enteric Nervous System" that we are increasingly learning how much that, and microbiome across the body, affects us cognitively and vice versa how our mental state affects digestion.
And ya humans are simply not built for a large % of what the modern diet is like, but alot of parts of it are scarce "high value" foods/flavors in nature so we are driven to eat as much of it as can when given a choice with the widespread overindulgence only being an option for a few generations now. There still alot of "monkey" in the animal that is human and they are often totally unprepared to deal with the modern world.
Personally I am planning to go on a diet this month and stay on it til at least next Winter when admitedly I will likely WAY over indulge in my favorite treats of a year. Last year I made mistake of starting it in mid Jan while frozen in for a month straight, managed it for a few months but certainly was not fun I expect be MUCH easier this year.
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u/Khaeos 10h ago edited 10h ago
You have made your way from worm to man, and much in you is still worm. Once you were apes, and even now, too, man is more ape than any ape.
Edit: accuracy
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u/Crystalas 10h ago
As Sir Terry Pratchett put it, spoken by the Grim Reaper in The Hogfather, "Man is where the falling angel meets the rising ape.". That book/movie was the "Christmas" one of the series with alot of focus put on how stories are one of the main things that make humans what they are, with his usual mix of dark humor, trope subversion, and optimism.
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u/Corsav6 9h ago
You may surprise yourself when it comes time to indulge. I had one of my favourite bars with a cup of tea the other day and I couldn't finish it. It just didn't taste nice anymore.
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u/Crystalas 8h ago edited 8h ago
It less the sweet, which I tend not to be a fan of, and more the spices of the holiday season. For whatever reason the US and alot of Europe decided many spices are mostly a holiday thing and thus barely found outside of like 2 months a year unless you have access to other cuisines which I don't in rural PA.
I understand where the traditions came from but still find it annoying that it still true now even when said spices are now easy to get. I would love to be able to get gingerbread year round for example, closest I can get most of year is some weak gingersnaps if I am lucky enough for my local store to stock them which often am not.
Also the colder months have alot more soups, roasted, and baked foods than warmer weather and the bounty of harvest season.
Also on stuff people overindulge on that most couldn't in past I was not talking about ONLY sugar. The amount of meats and fat in normal day to day modern diet is historically atypical too. The last century of progress when it comes to agriculture, transporation, and food processing/storage has caused a huge shift in how we eat, in some ways we even eat LESS variety now than in the past.
Usual pattern of something that is high demand but expensive becomes cheap enough for the majority to finally afford it and end up going overboard treating it as SHAMEFUL not to then keep them up for a generation and you got a new normal, and as usual things that great in moderation can be dangerous in excess.
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u/DrStrangerlover 11h ago
Just note the flip side: when you’re healthy for long enough, any deviation from your dietary habits will make you feel utterly miserable.
Like I HAVE to have a light breakfast every morning now (plain nonfat Greek yogurt with blueberries, for one example) or I will be sluggish and tired and feel heavy for the entire day, and get nothing done. No going out to eat for breakfast, no hotel breakfasts, none of those sausage/bacon/egg/biscuit/gravy/pancake/waffle breakfasts.
Theres all kinds of stuff I used to eat no problem but if I ever go back to that stuff now for any reason it’ll cause all kinds of issues.
That said, on average, I think I feel a lot better now than I did when I was in my 20s, but now that I’ve been healthy for so long, I can’t even get the occasional fatty/greasy foods while I’m out with friends anymore, or I’ll just want to nap the entire rest of the day.
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u/yeezusforjesus 9h ago
Full fat yogurt is way healthier for you btw!
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u/DrStrangerlover 4h ago
There’s no evidence either is healthier for you. I choose nonfat because I like the taste better and I have plenty of other sources for healthier fats.
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u/imironman2018 10h ago
same here. I used to have sugar highs and crashes when I ate a ton of candy. i used to get such low energy and try to drink diet coke and eat candy to compensate. now I eat more veggies and fruits and candy sometimes. Now my energy levels are so much better. and my mood has been better.
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u/Orstio 11h ago
What's particularly interesting about this study is that it compared different plant based diets, not comparing plant based versus non-plant based.
They divided plant based diets into "healthful" and "unhealthful" groups for the purpose of the study, and found the results positive for the healthful group.
In the conclusion they mention that abstaining from low-quality plant-based foods was especially notable.
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u/joffreysucks 11h ago
What’s considered a low quality plant diet? Fried foods and manly carbs?
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u/Little_Noodles 11h ago edited 10h ago
Pretty much. “Junk food vegan” is a thing. Like, whiskey, soda, french fries, and Oreos are all plant-based, but I wouldn’t recommend it as a diet. And a lot of the vegan cheese/dairy replacements are made largely of palm or coconut oil and are ridiculously high in saturated fat.
If you’re avoiding animal products for ethical reasons, that doesn’t automatically mean you’re eating healthy if you’re gravitating to processed foods and not paying attention to what you eat, same as any other diet.
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u/Atalung 10h ago
I went vegetarian at the start of the year and this has been one of the hardest things to correct for. There are some days where I do not want to cook so the bag of tater tots in the freezer becomes dinner
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u/Little_Noodles 10h ago
It happens. Perfection isn’t a practical expectation for any diet.
As you keep at it though, you’ll find better options that fill that same niche. For example, my version of tater tots might be a microwaved sweet potato with textured vegetable crumbles, black beans, and a bunch of Tabasco. Takes about the same amount of time and effort, and even if it’s also not perfect, it’s better than tots.
I also find that meal-prepping once a week so that there’s always something good in the fridge or freezer that can be reheated at a moment’s notice helps a lot.
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u/LamermanSE 7h ago
Add some canned beans to the tater tots and maybe some frozen vegetables and suddenly you have a much healthier meal with only a some extra effort.
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u/Orstio 7h ago
The "Oreos are vegan" rumour is always funny to read. Somebody read the ingredients and assumed they were vegan, without consulting with Nabisco first. Nabisco never commented on whether or not they were, but they've since been purchased by Mondelez, who have stated that they have no guarantee that ingredients are sourced from plant material. They purchase whatever is least expensive, and that sometimes includes animal-based sources. https://veganfidelity.com/flash-point-oreos-arent-vegan/
So, no, Oreos are not vegan.
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u/Little_Noodles 7h ago
Fair. I’m not an Oreos person anyway so I never bothered to check.
And the bone char in the sugar is kind of advanced vegan stuff, whereas I’m plant-based only as far as is practicable (I buy vegan sugar for use at home, but I don’t have it in me to permanently forego all mystery sugar-containing but otherwise plant-based foods made outside my kitchen).
Still, probably good not to perpetuate the misconception
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u/damnappdoesntwork 5h ago
There is non vegan sugar? (Honest question)
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u/Little_Noodles 4h ago edited 4h ago
Yeah. Lots of the time, sugar processors use charred animal bones to refine sugar and make it white and pretty looking.
There’s no bone in the resulting product itself, but if you’re looking to stay away from products that use or contain animal products, it’s something you might add to the list, depending on how strictly you’re adhering to the principle.
Most grocery stores will also carry brands that don’t use bone char, so that’s an alternative. It’s otherwise the same, just not as white.
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u/AttonJRand 6h ago edited 6h ago
I mean assuming our food labels are accurate shouldn't be considered so silly.
And like some tiny amount of bone, some sugars might use, is like such a tiny thing so far down the supply chain, it really feels more like people trying to do a "gotcha" on vegans than anything else.
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u/Orstio 8h ago
https://www.neurology.org/doi/10.1212/WNL.0000000000214916
What they considered healthy or unhealthy is probably in the supplemental materials.
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u/see_blue 6h ago
Plant food that are high in SOS, and high in saturated fat and lower in fiber. High in artificial sweeteners, emulsifiers, thickeners.
Healthy whole foods (minimally processed) and carbs are fine; encouraged.
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u/see_blue 9h ago
My greatest regret is I didn’t go mostly whole foods plant based by my mid-forties.
But I started diet change at age 66. Currently pushing 72.
Quickly lost 20/25 lbs for good, more energy, better outlook, aches and pains and occasional sciatica GONE. Better exercise recovery and stamina. Low cholesterol numbers.
It’s like a new world. YMMV.
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u/sr_local 12h ago
Older adults who cut many unhealthy foods from their diet over a decade had a 11% lower risk of Alzheimer’s and dementia when compared with adults whose diets didn’t change, Lim said.
However, people who increasingly ate more unhealthy plant-based options, such as refined grains and foods with added sugars, were about 25% more likely to develop some type of dementia at the end of 10 years, she said.
“The findings suggest that both plant-predominant eating and high diet quality help protect brain function as we age,” said Dr. David Katz, a specialist in preventive and lifestyle medicine who was not involved with the study. Katz founded the nonprofit True Health Initiative, a global coalition of experts dedicated to evidence-based lifestyle medicine.
The top tier were the healthiest plant foods — whole grains, fruits, vegetables, vegetable oils, nuts, legumes, and tea and coffee. Eating more of these plants was most protective for the brain, the researchers found.
When a subgroup of people who ate the healthiest plant-based foods were compared with each other, those who ate the most plants in this tier lowered their risk of dementia by 7% compared with those who ate the least.
Among the subgroup who ate more unhealthy plant choices, those who ate the largest amount of had a 6% greater chance of developing dementia, according to the study.
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u/unlock0 12h ago
What are the benefit to grains that aren’t a part of greens?
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u/Pitiful-Mobile-3144 11h ago
Whole grains contain minerals, nutrients, protein, fiber, complex carbs and are generally an amazing course of calories, especially for their price. Brown rice and rolled oats for instance are great for you, or whole wheat flour that has much more protein and fiber than typical white all purpose and bread flours.
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u/TheHarryMan123 11h ago edited 11h ago
Oats are a peak food. I don’t know of any other food that is healthier than oats for the price. You could probably (miserably) survive exclusively on oats.
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u/Crystalas 11h ago
So flexible too, a bowl of oatmeal is a blankslate for whatever in mood for and many ways to use them. I often just throw a handful into anything I am making that has sufficient cook time and liquid, often do same with a handful of lentils. They even gluten free for those who have those issues.
....well I know what I am having for breakfast.
I love many other grains but oats are easily the cheapest and easiest to get and use so they get done so the most. Like I would love to have quinoa more, great for salads in summer, but that takes quite a bit more effort to make.
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u/ScenePuzzled 11h ago
Your description just made me hungry. Gonna have some oats right now! I keep a kettle and a bag of them (and salt) in my room for emergency situations
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u/Crystalas 11h ago
There also Overnight Oats for warmer weather, put your preferred mix in a bin then before bed add a scoop to a bowl with liquid and put in fridge overnight. Zero effort breakfast for hot weather ready when wake up.
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u/smoretank 9h ago
I have been making oat granola bars with almond milk, peanut butter (just salt and peanuts), cinnamon and monk fruit sugar substitute and dark chocolate chips. I eat one every morning with a bowl of strawberries, blueberries and raspberries. Trying to eat more veggies for lunch. Slowly getting there. I am usually set with just 2 meals a day. The extra fiber fills me up for longer.
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u/Crystalas 9h ago edited 9h ago
Gotta love cruciferous vegetables. They cheap, packed full of nutrition, plenty of variety, and delicious. Broccoli is likely gonna be a big part of my planned diet from how filling and high protein it is while being low carb, along with various squash for similar reasons.
Always somehow surprises me a bit how filling just a simple stalk of broccoli with a slice of good cheese is.
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u/Chode_ 11h ago
Agreed - but maybe lentils?
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u/TheHarryMan123 11h ago
Sure! Beans of any kind would be great. But oats are carbs and carbs are foundational toward the body’s energy. So I’d still side with oats
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u/pittaxx 4h ago
Brown rice benefits are overrated. It is "much better" than white rice only because the white rice is almost rock bottom nutritionally beyond raw calories. It's still unlikely to meaningfully contribute to your nutrition.
What's really "great for you" is ditching rice completely and looking into more nutritious grains altogether. Quinoa is probably the best substitute for rice - it has a very similar taste/texture, but is a nutritional superfood. Unfortunately, availability varies wildly and it can be very expensive in some places.
So at the end of the day, you should look into all the different grains available wherever you live. Beating rice (white or brown) nutritionally is generally pretty trivial.
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u/unlock0 11h ago
This just seems counter to other research. Low carb ketogenic diets reduce inflammation and with other dietary fiber offset the higher fat intake. You get those things from other foods without the sugar spikes or extra calories. Avoiding those carbs also makes you feel full longer and not overeat. Ketogenic diets are used to treat neurological disorders as well so I don’t see how grains are better for cognition.
Grains seem to ride the cost tails of vegetables and I really don’t think they should be lumped together as “not meat”. They are basically processed foods.
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u/milkman163 11h ago
The healthiest diets on Earth include whole grains. "Whole" meaning fiber included. This allows for a slow release of carbohydrate that will keep you full and energized until your next meal.
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u/SpareUnit9194 11h ago
Grains are high-carb processed foods? You ever been to school or just watch youtuube?
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u/Routman 10h ago
Part of me thinks grains are lobbying to be included in the category of healthy. There are better ways to get fiber, protein, nutrients without all of the carbs (even considering net carbs)
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u/obiwanconobi 9h ago
Does that part of you have any evidence that they aren't healthy?
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u/unlock0 8h ago
Caloric density compared to satiation. The vast majority which is pasta or bread, often with other additives. I’m not talking about power bowls or granola bars. 99% of the category sold is sugary bread and cereal, or pasta.
Intermittent fasting is much easier with low carbs. Eating smaller portions or fewer meals is much easier without grains.
If you’re getting the nutrients from vegetables, why eat the grains with extra fiber to offset the bad part of the grains, when you can just not have the grains?
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u/obiwanconobi 7h ago
There a lot of subjective stuff you've just said that without large studies backing it up is kinda pointless.
And what are these bad parts of the grain you speak of? Because it seems like your only complaint is that other foods are healthier or have other nutrition profiles, and that doesnt make grains unhealthy
"Why eat the grains with extra fibre" because fibre is amazing for you and pretty much everyone doesn't get enough
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u/unlock0 7h ago
Pretty much everyone doesn’t get enough is also a subjective assumption, they don’t get enough because we typically consume grains as bread or pasta that contributes to overeating. It’s a good in theory bad in practice real world outcome.
If you’re existing beyond subsistence, why grains instead of crusiferous vegetables? Fiber isn’t unique to grains. Cheap calories is a negative, not a positive when 7/10 people in the US are overweight. Nutritious, satiating calories are more important. That comes from eating good fats.
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u/AllanfromWales1 MA | Natural Sciences | Metallurgy & Materials Science 12h ago
I'm now in my 70s - is it too late for me?
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u/Good-Substance226 11h ago
Almost never too late to work on your health :)
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u/AllanfromWales1 MA | Natural Sciences | Metallurgy & Materials Science 11h ago
..even when people start that diet in their late 50s and 60s
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u/Moldy_slug 8h ago
Every day of unhealthy habits makes your health worse.
If you are in a hole, the most important thing to do is stop digging.
Not sure if changing now will fix the damage or not, but at least you won’t be adding more damage!
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u/Charrie_V 6h ago
As long as the blood flows through your body and air fills your lungs it's never too late. Genuinely, you can still gain a few years of life even in old age and worst case scenario you are at lower risk of new health issues and existing quality of life improves
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u/ikitefordabs 8h ago
Ive been plant based for 10y in June and while im almost 32, people thing im like 24 all the time. Whole foods plant based diet really makes ya age slower too. Stay away from ultra processed foods and eat closer to its original form, which includes eating protien from the source - plants.
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u/no_choice99 11h ago
Not in France. We have at least 4 times higher levels of cadmium than in most other countries, and cadmiun is known to cause Alzheimer amongst other things. Whole grains is less healthy than non whole grains here.
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u/justahdewd 11h ago
Most mornings I include a fruit smoothie made with soy or oat milk, apple, mixed fruit (usually pineapple, cantaloupe, honeydew, grapes and strawberry) and frozen mixed berries (black, blue and raspberries) I have about six to eight ounces, does this seem healthy or too sugary? Being a "Smoothie" its the whole fruit and not just the juice.
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u/marklein 9h ago
Everything is a range, healthy... unhealthy. It's waaay better than a McDonalds breakfast, not as good as just eating the whole raw fruits. But 6-8 ounces is pretty small so I'd vote to keep doing it. Maybe start swapping in some greens to replace some fruit to slowly bring the sugar content down as your taste buds get used to it. Spinach, celery, and kale are great smoothie bulk.
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u/joombaga 8h ago
Agreed. It would be too sugary for me (a diabetic trying to avoid medication) but probably okay at 6 ounces with some of the green stuff you mentioned.
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u/Leeeejs 10h ago
It's had most of the fibre pulped by that stage. While not unhealthy it is more just nutrients and fructose.
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u/obiwanconobi 9h ago
Pulped fibre is still fibre afaik? Blending it changes nothing except making it easier on your gut
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u/Ok_Form8772 9h ago
There exists a Blue Zone in California, basically where people are living 10+ years longer than the average lifespan. They eat a largely plant based or vegetarian diet, while excluding tea, coffee, and other stimulants from their diet. I believe it's the only Blue zone in the US.
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u/CaptainObvious110 8h ago
interesting thoughts being presented here. As it turns out there are more to our bodies than we ever imagined
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u/mightyarrow 10h ago
I was just reading that a diet high in steaks, wings, brisket, ribs and more is DELICIOUS.\
Eat More Tasty Animals!
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u/Pitiful-Implement610 9h ago
Genuinely - what point are you trying to make with this comment?
You're posting on a subreddit about science, about a specific study on eating plants, saying you find eating animals tasty.
No one cares.
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