Fiber is known to be extremely important for digestive health and also has cardiovascular benefits such as lowering cholesterol.

And now, new evidence shows that fiber is also important for brain health. In the new study, recently published in the journal Nutritional Neuroscience, Japanese researchers showed that a diet rich in fiber is associated with a lower risk of dementia.

Study lead author Professor Kazumasa Yamagishi says: “Dementia is a devastating disease that usually requires long-term care. We were interested in some recent research that suggested dietary fiber may play a protective role. We looked at this using data collected from thousands of adults in Japan for a large study that began in the eighties.”

Participants completed surveys assessing their dietary intake between 1985 and 1999. They were in good health, aged between 40 and 64 years. They were then followed up from 1999 to 2020, to see if they developed dementia requiring care.

The researchers divided the data, from a total of 3,739 adults, into four groups according to the amount of fiber in their diets. They found that groups that ate higher levels of fiber were less likely to develop dementia.

The team also examined whether there were differences between the two main types of fiber: soluble and insoluble.

The soluble fiber found in foods like oats and legumes is important for the beneficial bacteria that live in the gut in addition to providing other health benefits.

Insoluble fiber, which is found in whole grains, vegetables and some other foods, is important for gut health.

The researchers found that the association between fiber intake and dementia was more pronounced for soluble fibre.

The team theorizes to explain what might lie behind the link between dietary fiber and the risk of dementia. “The mechanisms are currently unknown but may involve interactions that occur between the gut and the brain. One possibility is that soluble fiber regulates the formation of gut bacteria,” says Professor Yamagishi. This combination may influence the neuroinflammation that plays a role in the onset of dementia.It is also possible that dietary fiber reduces other risk factors for dementia, such as body weight, blood pressure, lipids, and glucose levels.Work is still at an early stage, and it is important to confirm the association in groups. other population.

Source: Medical Express