Cooking Once a Week May Cut Dementia Risk by 70 Percent

Beginners benefit the most from cooking at home, according to a 6-year Japanese study of nearly 11,000 adults. 

10'000 Hours/Getty Images

Meal habits and brain health might seem worlds apart, but research suggests that simply cooking at home, especially for older adults, could be a game changer in reducing dementia risk—with the biggest benefits seen among those with fewer cooking skills.

“Cooking is not just about food, it’s a full brain-body activity. And that combination may be part of why we’re seeing these protective effects,” Lindsay Malone, an instructor and clinical dietitian in the Department of Nutrition at Case Western Reserve University’s School of Medicine, who was not involved in the study, told The Epoch Times.

Why Cooking May Protect the Brain

The study, recently published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, suggests that cooking regularly could lower the chance of dementia by 30 percent. For older people with limited cooking skills, the risk reduction could be as high as 70 percent. The study analyzed data from nearly 11,000 participants aged 65 and older, over six years, ending in 2022. During that period, about 11 percent of participants developed dementia.