Thousands of people adopt a vegetarian diet in the hope that it will improve their health.
But cutting out meat and fish may be harmful in later life, especially in terms of dementia risk, a new US study suggests. Scientists at Loma Linda University Health in California found that mostly vegetarian diets were associated with a lower risk of disease in middle-aged people. However, the opposite was true for those over 65.
Researchers observed slightly higher risks in very old vegetarians for problems like stroke, dementia, and Parkinson's disease. However, when fish was added to the diet, the risk was significantly reduced – and was associated with a lower risk of death.
The study, which was published in August in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, used dietary data from 88,000 people aged 30-85 from Canada and the US, including 12,500 deaths. Participants were recruited between 2002 and 2007 and followed up through 2015.
Participants were divided into five categories based on their diet: non-vegetarian, semi-vegetarian, pescatarian (those who ate fish), lacto-ovo-vegetarian (those who ate milk and eggs), and vegan. Overall, those who ate a vegetarian diet had about a 12 percent lower risk of death compared to those who ate meat. But people who ate a vegetarian diet but also ate fish (pesco-vegetarian) had an 18 percent lower risk of death.
The researchers also looked at the benefits of adding dairy and eggs to a vegetarian diet and found that this diet reduced the risk of death by a further 15 per cent. Vegans, who eat no animal products, had only a three per cent lower risk of death. However, the study found that while a vegetarian diet offered protection from death risk for middle-aged people, those in their 80s did not see as much benefit.
The study's lead researcher, Professor Gary Fraser, explained that there is an increased risk of neurological disease among vegetarians in their 80s. This may be because a vegetarian diet that does not include fish may lack vital nutrients, such as fatty acids, that can help the brain. The Mediterranean diet, which also includes eating a variety of fruits and vegetables, as well as oily fish, such as salmon and mackerel, is thought to be beneficial because it is rich in antioxidants.
The Alzheimer's Society suggests that this may help protect against some of the brain cell damage associated with Alzheimer's disease. Adding oily fish, which is rich in omega-3s, may also help brain health. This is because omega-3s, which are also a type of fat found in cell membranes, are important for your brain from development in the womb through to adulthood. It is thought that omega-3s may help reduce inflammation and oxidative stress, both of which contribute to the development of Alzheimer's disease and dementia. Omega-3s are also found in eggs, nuts and seeds, but in much lower levels than oily fish, according to the British Dietetic Association. / Daily Mail
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