Researchers studied 1,826 older adults aged 65 and older who started with normal thinking skills. They tracked their eating habits and physical activity levels over a ten-year period from 2008 to 2018. The group was divided based on whether they had high or low dietary diversity and high or low physical activity.
The main finding was that people with low dietary diversity and low physical activity had a significantly higher risk of developing cognitive impairment. Their risk was about 48% higher than the reference group. Additionally, their scores on cognitive tests were consistently lower over time compared to those who maintained high levels of both diet variety and exercise.
No safety concerns were reported during the study. However, because this was an observational study, it is important to remember that it shows an association rather than proving cause and effect. While the results support combining healthy eating with exercise for brain health, readers should understand that other factors could also influence these outcomes.