News Release, 3 August 2006
The Mental Health Foundation today said that the general public must take responsibility for their diets if they are to avoid dementia in later life. New research, published today in the Lancet Neurology, claims that the likelihood of a person developing dementia can be accurately predicted by looking at factors such as high blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and obesity.
Iain Ryrie, Research Programme Director at the Mental Health Foundation, said:
“This research comes as no surprise. Numerous studies highlight the links between the onset of dementia, particularly the vascular dementias, and the intake of too much salt and saturated fat.
“The brain is an organ of the body just like the heart and while we are well aware of the effect that our diet has upon our physical health, we are only just beginning to understand how the foods we eat can really impact on our mental health.
“If people want to protect themselves against dementia, they should limit the amount of salt and saturated fat they consume and eat foods that contain essential B vitamins, Omega 3 and zinc. These nutrients can be found in foods including fish, white meat, brown rice, vegetables, fruit and eggs.”
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Notes to editors
For further information and interview requests contact please contact the Press Office on 020 7803 1128 / 1130 or email the press office
The Mental Health Foundation is the leading UK charity working to improve services for both people with mental health problems and people with learning disabilities. It is the only charity to fund and work with both service users and providers and plays an important role in funding research and new approaches to prevention, treatment and care. The Foundation’s work includes allocating grants for research and community projects; contributing to the public debate; educating policy makers and healthcare professionals and striving to reduce the stigma attached to mental illness.
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