Koolhydraten en geheugenproblemen*
Uit een Amerikaanse studie onder 1.230 ouderen van zeventig jaar en ouder blijkt dat het eten van veel koolhydraten en suikers de kans op geheugenproblemen fors kan verhogen. Aan het begin van de studie hadden 940 deelnemers geen tekenen van milde geheugenstoornissen, een voorbode van de ziekte van Azlheimer. Vier jaar lang werden deze 940 mensen gevolgd en 200 van hen bleek milde geheugenstoornissen te
krijgen. Bij onderzoek na de voedingspatronen van de deelnemers bleek dat zij met de meeste inname van
koolhydraten bijna twee keer meer kans hebben op het ontwikkelen van geheugenstoornissen dan zij met de laagste inname. Voor inname van suiker was die kans 1,5 keer groter voor de meeste inname van vetten was die kans dan weer 42% lager en voor de inname van eiwitten 21% lager. Rekening houdende met deze vet- en
eiwitinname hadden zij met de hoogste inname van koolhydraten wel bijna vier keer meer kans op het krijgen van geheugenstoornissen als voorbode voor de ziekte van Alzheimer.
Eating Lots of Carbs, Sugar May Raise Risk of Cognitive Impairment, Mayo Clinic Study Finds
Those 70-plus who ate food high in fat and protein fared better cognitively, research showed
People 70 and older who eat food high in carbohydrates have nearly four times the risk of developing mild cognitive impairment, and the danger also rises with a diet heavy in sugar, Mayo Clinic researchers have found. Those who consume a lot of protein and fat relative to carbohydrates are less likely to become cognitively impaired, the study found. The findings are published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease.
The research highlights the importance of a well-rounded diet, says lead author Rosebud Roberts, M.B., Ch.B., a Mayo Clinic epidemiologist.
"We think it's important that you eat a healthy balance of protein, carbohydrates and fat, because each of these nutrients has an important role in the body," Dr. Roberts says.
Researchers tracked 1,230 people ages 70 to 89 who provided information on what they ate during the previous year. At that time, their cognitive function was evaluated by an expert panel of physicians, nurses and neuropsychologists. Of those participants, only the roughly 940 who showed no signs of cognitive impairment were asked to return for follow-up evaluations of their cognitive function. About four years into the study, 200 of those 940 were beginning to show mild cognitive impairment, problems with memory, language, thinking and judgment that are greater than normal age-related changes.
Those who reported the highest carbohydrate intake at the beginning of the study were 1.9 times likelier to develop mild cognitive impairment than those with the lowest intake of carbohydrates. Participants with the highest sugar intake were 1.5 times likelier to experience mild cognitive impairment than those with the lowest levels.
But those whose diets were highest in fat — compared to the lowest — were 42 percent less likely to face cognitive impairment, and those who had the highest intake of protein had a reduced risk of 21 percent.
When total fat and protein intake were taken into account, people with the highest carbohydrate intake were 3.6 times likelier to develop mild cognitive impairment.
"A high carbohydrate intake could be bad for you because carbohydrates impact your glucose and insulin metabolism," Dr. Roberts says. "Sugar fuels the brain — so moderate intake is good. However, high levels of sugar may actually prevent the brain from using the sugar — similar to what we see with type 2 diabetes."
The study was funded by the National Institute on Aging. (Oktober 2012)
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