Once-a-week cooking activity may cut dementia risk in older adults

A Japanese study using data from 2016–2022 found that older adults who cooked at least once a week had about a 30% lower risk of dementia overall, and that novice cooks showed larger reductions in risk; researchers said further study is needed.

A new Japanese study examined links between home cooking and dementia risk in older people. Researchers used data from the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study collected from 2016 to 2022. The study was published in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health. It looked at cooking frequency and self-reported kitchen skills among thousands of participants. Key findings: - The analysis used data from thousands of adults aged 65 and older tracked from 2016 to 2022 and linked the cohort to Japan's public long-term care insurance registry. - According to the registry data, 1,195 participants developed dementia during the study period. - Participants reported how often they cooked at home and their mastery of seven common kitchen skills; more than a quarter said they cooked less than five times per week. - The study found cooking at least once a week was associated with about a 30% lower dementia risk overall, and participants who were novice cooks showed a larger, reported 67% lower risk. - The researchers noted possible explanations including cognitive stimulation from learning skills, dietary differences linked to home cooking, and physical activity involved in meal preparation, and they cautioned that further research is needed. Summary: The study adds to existing research that links productive, stimulating activities with slower cognitive decline in older adults. Researchers said further study is needed to better understand causal pathways and to confirm the observed associations.