Do excess carbohydrates harm the elderly brain ?
A balanced diet includes food rich in carbohydrates. Although there are many fitness gurus and programs that cut back on carbohydrate intake the fact is the body needs carbohydrates to supply energy to carry out life sustaining functions.
For physically active people, a diet high in carbohydrate is an important element of their diet, but for the elderly excess carbohydrates may not help brain health.
A study examined the types of calories elderly people were eating , fats, carbohydrates and proteins, then tracked them to see how diet may be related to Dementia.
At the beginning of the study, 937 elderly people who had no signs of cognitive impairment or dementia were asked to complete a questionnaire about their typical food intake.
Researchers then calculated the amount of calories the respondents got from carbohydrates, proteins and fats. About 200 people developed mild cognitive impairment or dementia.
Those who got the highest percentage of their calories from carbohydrates were found to have higher risk of developing dementia.
Though the study did not outline the reasons that a high carb diet may increase the risk of Dementia, researchers suggest that more research still need to be done to fully establish the link between high carb diets in elderly and the development of cognitive problems.
