A popular vegetarian product increases the risk of dementia

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Dementia rates are predicted to rise significantly in the coming decades. It is important to note that dementia does not necessarily occur with age. Age is only a risk factor. In order to stop the increase in the number of patients, scientists are trying to identify various risk factors that can be changed.

In particular, the consumption of tofu, which is often used as an alternative to meat for vegetarians and vegans, was considered. The study examined the effects of weekly tofu consumption on cognitive abilities.

An observational cross-sectional study was conducted on 517 elderly Chinese from Shanghai. Scientists took into account age, sex, education, diet and weekly consumption of fruits, juices and vegetables.

Scientists found that among the elderly, high consumption of tofu increases the risk of cognitive impairment, which indicates dementia. At the same time, high consumption of green vegetables in combination with meat showed a reduced risk.

“High consumption of tofu negatively affected the cognitive abilities of elderly people living in communities in China. Similar results were obtained in Indonesia and among Japanese-Americans in the United States,” notes Shifu Xiao, one of the authors of the study, a geriatric psychiatrist from the Shanghai Transport University.