Cook your own dinner at least once a week to slash dementia risk by more than a quarter, finds new study

Preparing home-cooked meals could cut the risk of developing dementia by more than a quarter, a study suggests.

Researchers found that people who cooked from scratch at least once a week were significantly less likely to develop the condition – with the strongest benefits seen in those with little prior experience in the kitchen.

The study, published in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health, tracked 10,978 adults aged 65 and over for six years to 2022.

Participants were asked to rate their cooking skills, allowing researchers to assess how both frequency and experience related to dementia risk.

Men who cooked regularly had a 23 per cent lower risk of dementia, while women saw a 27 per cent reduction, compared with those who did not cook.

Strikingly, those with limited cooking skills appeared to benefit the most, with a 67 per cent lower risk – a finding researchers suggest may reflect the cognitive stimulation involved in learning new skills.

The authors said: ‘The risk of dementia became lower as people cooked more frequently, and the benefits of cooking were particularly significant for those with little cooking experience.

‘Creating an environment where people can cook meals when they are older may be important for the prevention of dementia.’

Cooking your own meals at home could slash your risk of developing dementia by almost a third, a major new study has found

The study assessed the skill level of participants on various levels including their ability to peel fruits and vegetables, and their competence in making stews.

Around half of the people said they cooked five times a week.

In the six years their study took place, some 1,195 participants developed dementia – with 870 known to have died.

The authors noted that the limitations of their study included that it was observational, meaning they cannot directly prove the direct causes of their results.

They also said cases of mild dementia may have been missed from the registry data studied and that results may vary in different cultures to due the type of food eaten.

It is believed that around one million people across the UK are living with dementia.

This is not the first time that food has been linked to dementia, with separate research finding that the Mediterranean diet could reduce risk by up to 23 per cent.

Just this month, the Daily Mail reported how scientists also suggested that a ‘brain healthy’ diet could slow the physical deterioration linked to Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

In a major long-term study, those who stuck closest to it showed slower loss of brain cells and less overall shrinkage on scans – changes strongly linked to memory loss and dementia.

The eating plan – dubbed the MIND diet, short for Mediterranean–DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay – emphasises foods such as leafy green vegetables, berries, nuts, olive oil and fish.

It has previously been linked to a lower risk of dementia, but researchers claim they have proof that it helps slow the damage that leads to these diseases.

Writing in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry, the researchers said encouraging people to follow the diet could be a simple way to help tackle rising rates of dementia as populations age.

Dr Mohammad Talaei, a lecturer in life course epidemiology at Queen Mary University of London, said the study was ‘one big step’ for understanding ‘whether our diet can improve brain health’.