* . *
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Contact
Thursday, October 2, 2025
Earth-News
  • Home
  • Business
  • Entertainment
    Penn State-Themed Restaurant and Entertainment Spot Happy Valley Live Set to Open in State College – StateCollege.com

    Penn State-Themed Restaurant and Entertainment Spot Happy Valley Live Set to Open in State College – StateCollege.com

    The Police Made Chart History With This 1979 Hit Nearly 50 Years Ago – Yahoo

    How The Police Changed Music Forever with Their Iconic 1979 Hit Nearly 50 Years Ago

    Good Deed Entertainment Acquires Worldwide Rights To Liza Mandelup’s Documentary ‘Caterpillar’ – Deadline

    Good Deed Entertainment Lands Global Rights to Liza Mandelup’s Captivating Documentary ‘Caterpillar

    Danielle Fishel Explains Why Being on “DWTS” Makes Her Feel ‘Like It’s 1994 Again’ Filming “Boy Meets World” (Exclusive) – Yahoo

    Danielle Fishel Explains Why Being on “DWTS” Makes Her Feel ‘Like It’s 1994 Again’ Filming “Boy Meets World” (Exclusive) – Yahoo

    Jussie Smollett Claims He Was ‘Disrespected’ on the ‘Special Forces’ Season Premiere – Yahoo

    Jussie Smollett Opens Up About Feeling ‘Disrespected’ During the ‘Special Forces’ Season Premiere

    TicketSmarter Fall Entertainment Guide – Eastern Illinois University Athletics

    TicketSmarter Fall Entertainment Guide – Eastern Illinois University Athletics

  • General
  • Health
  • News

    Cracking the Code: Why China’s Economic Challenges Aren’t Shaking Markets, Unlike America’s” – Bloomberg

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Trending Tags

    • Trump Inauguration
    • United Stated
    • White House
    • Market Stories
    • Election Results
  • Science
  • Sports
  • Technology
    Steampunk Metal Oval Technology Sense Sunglasses Personality Handmade Chain Multicolor Sunglasses UV400 – The San Joaquin Valley Sun

    Steampunk Metal Oval Sunglasses with Handmade Multicolor Chain – Bold UV400 Protection and Unique Style

    STELLA Automotive AI Appoints Fred Seidelman as Chief Technology Officer – Yahoo Finance

    STELLA Automotive AI Appoints Fred Seidelman as New Chief Technology Officer

    Saving Energy and Money with Smart Technology – Terms of Service with Clare Duffy – Podcast on CNN Podcasts – CNN

    Saving Energy and Money with Smart Technology – Terms of Service with Clare Duffy – Podcast on CNN Podcasts – CNN

    Four Strategic Signals Technology Leaders Are Tuning In To – SPONSOR CONTENT FROM ARM – Harvard Business Review

    Four Essential Strategic Signals Every Technology Leader Should Watch

    Virginia Tech hosts annual New Music + Technology Festival this week – Cardinal News

    Virginia Tech Kicks Off Exciting Annual New Music and Technology Festival This Week

    Why I gave the world wide web away for free | Tim Berners-Lee – The Guardian

    Why I Decided to Make the World Wide Web Free for Everyone | Tim Berners-Lee

    Trending Tags

    • Nintendo Switch
    • CES 2017
    • Playstation 4 Pro
    • Mark Zuckerberg
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Business
  • Entertainment
    Penn State-Themed Restaurant and Entertainment Spot Happy Valley Live Set to Open in State College – StateCollege.com

    Penn State-Themed Restaurant and Entertainment Spot Happy Valley Live Set to Open in State College – StateCollege.com

    The Police Made Chart History With This 1979 Hit Nearly 50 Years Ago – Yahoo

    How The Police Changed Music Forever with Their Iconic 1979 Hit Nearly 50 Years Ago

    Good Deed Entertainment Acquires Worldwide Rights To Liza Mandelup’s Documentary ‘Caterpillar’ – Deadline

    Good Deed Entertainment Lands Global Rights to Liza Mandelup’s Captivating Documentary ‘Caterpillar

    Danielle Fishel Explains Why Being on “DWTS” Makes Her Feel ‘Like It’s 1994 Again’ Filming “Boy Meets World” (Exclusive) – Yahoo

    Danielle Fishel Explains Why Being on “DWTS” Makes Her Feel ‘Like It’s 1994 Again’ Filming “Boy Meets World” (Exclusive) – Yahoo

    Jussie Smollett Claims He Was ‘Disrespected’ on the ‘Special Forces’ Season Premiere – Yahoo

    Jussie Smollett Opens Up About Feeling ‘Disrespected’ During the ‘Special Forces’ Season Premiere

    TicketSmarter Fall Entertainment Guide – Eastern Illinois University Athletics

    TicketSmarter Fall Entertainment Guide – Eastern Illinois University Athletics

  • General
  • Health
  • News

    Cracking the Code: Why China’s Economic Challenges Aren’t Shaking Markets, Unlike America’s” – Bloomberg

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Trending Tags

    • Trump Inauguration
    • United Stated
    • White House
    • Market Stories
    • Election Results
  • Science
  • Sports
  • Technology
    Steampunk Metal Oval Technology Sense Sunglasses Personality Handmade Chain Multicolor Sunglasses UV400 – The San Joaquin Valley Sun

    Steampunk Metal Oval Sunglasses with Handmade Multicolor Chain – Bold UV400 Protection and Unique Style

    STELLA Automotive AI Appoints Fred Seidelman as Chief Technology Officer – Yahoo Finance

    STELLA Automotive AI Appoints Fred Seidelman as New Chief Technology Officer

    Saving Energy and Money with Smart Technology – Terms of Service with Clare Duffy – Podcast on CNN Podcasts – CNN

    Saving Energy and Money with Smart Technology – Terms of Service with Clare Duffy – Podcast on CNN Podcasts – CNN

    Four Strategic Signals Technology Leaders Are Tuning In To – SPONSOR CONTENT FROM ARM – Harvard Business Review

    Four Essential Strategic Signals Every Technology Leader Should Watch

    Virginia Tech hosts annual New Music + Technology Festival this week – Cardinal News

    Virginia Tech Kicks Off Exciting Annual New Music and Technology Festival This Week

    Why I gave the world wide web away for free | Tim Berners-Lee – The Guardian

    Why I Decided to Make the World Wide Web Free for Everyone | Tim Berners-Lee

    Trending Tags

    • Nintendo Switch
    • CES 2017
    • Playstation 4 Pro
    • Mark Zuckerberg
No Result
View All Result
Earth-News
No Result
View All Result
Home Health

Traditional Japanese diet associated with less brain shrinkage in women compared to Western diet, says research

April 8, 2024
in Health
Traditional Japanese diet associated with less brain shrinkage in women compared to Western diet, says research
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

sushi

Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

Cognitive decline and dementia already affect more than 55 million people worldwide. This number is projected to skyrocket over the next few decades as the global population ages.

There are certain risk factors of cognitive decline and dementia that we cannot change—such as having a genetic predisposition to these conditions. But other risk factors we may have more power over—with research showing certain modifiable lifestyle habits, such as smoking, obesity and lack of exercise, are all linked to higher risk of dementia.

What role nutrition plays in preventing cognitive decline and dementia has also been the focus of scientific research for quite some time.

For example, numerous studies have examined the benefits of the Mediterranean diet. This diet seems to have a positive effect on important metrics of a healthy brain, such as total brain volume, cortical thickness, and integrity of white matter.

Our recent study now suggests that following a traditional Japanese diet may also be beneficial for brain health—and better for it than the typical western diet is.

The traditional Japanese diet

Japan is renowned for the longevity of its people. For example, the Okinawa Prefecture in southern Japan hosts an extraordinarily high number of centenarians. For this reason, Okinawa is recognized as a Blue Zone, an area where people live exceptionally long lives. The longevity of those living in this region is often attributed in part to their traditional diet.

The typical Japanese diet is characterized by foods such as rice, fish and shellfish, and fruits (especially citrus fruits). But what makes this diet unique are traditional Japanese foods such as miso (fermented soybean paste), seaweed, pickles, green tea, soybeans, soybeans sprouts and mushrooms (such as shiitake). Notably, this diet is also characterized by low intake of red meat and coffee.

It’s worth noting that the traditional Japanese diet is a cultural habit rather than a diet designed for achieving a particular objective (such as weight loss). It’s simply what many Japanese people regularly enjoy at their dining table.

Brain health

To conduct our study, we looked at a sample of 1,636 Japanese adults aged 40 to 89.

We first identified the participants’ typical diet by asking them to record everything they ate and drank for three days. They were also given a disposable camera to take pictures of their plates before and after each meal to produce a visual record of how much they ate.

Combining the written diet record with the pictures, we then calculated each person’s average daily food intake. This gave us a good baseline measure of the participants’ normal eating habits.

Based on the dietary records, we found 589 participants followed a traditional Japanese diet. A further 697 participants ate a typical western diet, which was characterized by a high consumption of refined carbs, high-fat foods, soft drinks and alcohol. Finally, a smaller number of participants (350 people) ate a diet containing a higher than average amount of plant foods (grains, vegetables, and fruits) and dairy products. We named this way of eating the vegetable-fruit-dairy diet.

We also collected information on other lifestyle and health factors, including whether the participant had a genetic predisposition to dementia (such as the APOE genotype), whether they smoked, their level of physical activity and if they had any existing health conditions (such as stroke or diabetes). We did this to adjust our analyzes to account for these factors, ensuring that our findings could be attributed solely to diet.

Then, we analyzed the progression of brain atrophy or shrinkage (a loss of neurons) over a period of two years. Crucially, age-associated brain atrophy is a common marker of cognitive decline and dementia. Brain atrophy was measured through an MRI scan.

We found that women who followed the traditional Japanese diet had less brain shrinkage over the two-year study period compared to women who followed the western diet. It’s less clear what effect the vegetable-fruit-dairy diet had—probably due to the small number of participants who followed this diet.

Interestingly, this effect was only apparent in women. There was no difference in the amount of brain shrinkage seen in men who followed the traditional Japanese diet compared to those following other diets.

There could be a few reasons for this pattern of results. Some seem to be specific to the biological differences between sexes. For example, certain nutrients—such as magnesium and the plant estrogens found in fish, shellfish, mushrooms, whole grains, and legumes—appear to have a stronger protective effect on women’s brains.

This effect could also be explained by differences in lifestyle habits between sexes. Negative factors, such as smoking—which may counteract the benefits of a healthy diet—were found to be far more common among men. Also, male participants were more likely to stray from the traditional Japanese diet—tending to consume more noodles (a source of refined carbs) and alcoholic beverages (sake) than the women. Both of these factors may contribute to brain shrinkage.

The benefits of the Japanese diet may also stem from the fact that many foods are rich in vitamins, polyphenols, phytochemicals and unsaturated fatty acids. All of these components are known for their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects—which basically means they help keep the brain and its neurons working their best.

It will now be important for further research to be conducted—not only to confirm our findings, but to explore some of the reasons for the differences seen between men and women when it comes to their preferred diet and brain health.

Embracing elements of the traditional Japanese diet and including foods such as fish, seafood, soy, miso, seaweed and shiitake mushrooms, may not only help improve cognitive function but overall health too.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.The Conversation

Citation:
Traditional Japanese diet associated with less brain shrinkage in women compared to Western diet, says research (2024, April 7)
retrieved 8 April 2024
from https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-04-traditional-japanese-diet-brain-shrinkage.html

This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no
part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.

>>> Read full article>>>
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source : Medical Xpress – https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-04-traditional-japanese-diet-brain-shrinkage.html

Tags: healthJapaneseTraditional
Previous Post

Federal minister says nuclear power is key part of renewable energy expansion

Next Post

France to fine patients who miss medical appointments

The billion-year reign of fungi that predated plants and made Earth livable – ScienceDaily

October 1, 2025
We Asked an Entomologist to Fact-Check the Science of ‘Alien: Earth’ – Esquire

We Asked an Entomologist to Fact-Check the Science of ‘Alien: Earth’ – Esquire

October 1, 2025
Building Better Leaders Through the Science of Happiness – Pace University

Unlocking Leadership Potential: How the Science of Happiness Transforms Leaders

October 1, 2025
Viral ‘Goth house’ for sale just in time for Halloween – The Weekly Journal

Step Inside the Spooky ‘Goth House’ Perfect for Halloween!

October 1, 2025
Steampunk Metal Oval Technology Sense Sunglasses Personality Handmade Chain Multicolor Sunglasses UV400 – The San Joaquin Valley Sun

Steampunk Metal Oval Sunglasses with Handmade Multicolor Chain – Bold UV400 Protection and Unique Style

October 1, 2025
Atlanta Braves Manager Brian Snitker Moving to ‘Advisory Role’ – FOX Sports

Atlanta Braves Manager Brian Snitker Moving to ‘Advisory Role’ – FOX Sports

October 1, 2025
The sleepy SF neighborhood that just became one of the world’s coolest – SFGATE

The sleepy SF neighborhood that just became one of the world’s coolest – SFGATE

October 1, 2025
The “stuck economy,” tariffs and Wall Street – marketplace.org

How Tariffs and Wall Street Are Strangling the Economy’s Growth

October 1, 2025
LSU Theatre’s season opener: A handkerchief discovered by a lovesick suitor adds up to hilarity – The Advocate

Love, Laughter, and a Lost Handkerchief: LSU Theatre’s Season Opener Promises Hilarious Fun

October 1, 2025
Rural Health Transformation (RHT) Program – Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services | CMS (.gov)

Rural Health Transformation (RHT) Program – Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services | CMS (.gov)

October 1, 2025

Categories

Archives

October 2025
M T W T F S S
 12345
6789101112
13141516171819
20212223242526
2728293031  
« Sep    
Earth-News.info

The Earth News is an independent English-language daily published Website from all around the World News

Browse by Category

  • Business (20,132)
  • Ecology (846)
  • Economy (866)
  • Entertainment (21,740)
  • General (17,353)
  • Health (9,910)
  • Lifestyle (880)
  • News (22,149)
  • People (869)
  • Politics (877)
  • Science (16,077)
  • Sports (21,367)
  • Technology (15,850)
  • World (849)

Recent News

The billion-year reign of fungi that predated plants and made Earth livable – ScienceDaily

October 1, 2025
We Asked an Entomologist to Fact-Check the Science of ‘Alien: Earth’ – Esquire

We Asked an Entomologist to Fact-Check the Science of ‘Alien: Earth’ – Esquire

October 1, 2025
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Contact

© 2023 earth-news.info

No Result
View All Result

© 2023 earth-news.info

No Result
View All Result

© 2023 earth-news.info

Go to mobile version