In the past few years, awareness and understanding related to dementia have increased among people. It has helped delay the onset of the condition and manage it later in life by taking appropriate steps. The symptoms of dementia indeed start appearing later in the 60s, but what we do in our 30s and 40s has a severe impact on it. Poor lifestyle habits, erratic eating patterns, and lack of physical activity, all these things build a base for the condition to develop and start affecting the functioning of our brain. It starts with small things, and by the time we enter our 60s, the signs become clearer. One of the habits that can increase your risk of developing dementia by four times is the habit of skipping your breakfast.

Breakfast: The most important meal of the day

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Having a nutritious and healthy meal in the morning can help you concentrate and keep you active all day long. On the other hand, missing it can make you feel cranky and tired. A new study proves that missing the first meal of the day can increase the risk of dementia later in life. The findings published in the Japanese Journal of Human Sciences of Health-Social Services revealed that skipping breakfast can increase the risk by four times.

How the study was carried
A curious insight came out of a 2011 study published in the Japanese Journal of Human Sciences of Health-Social Services. The objective was to understand the link between lifestyle habits and dementia. The study was carried out for over six years in a farming community near an urban center in Japan in which about 525 elderly adults aged 65 years or older participated. At the end of the study, it was found that irrespective of sex and age, participants who did not have breakfast were four times more at the risk of developing dementia.

Other things revealed by the study
The study also revealed that other dietary habits like snacking were also responsible to increase the risk of occurence of dementia in an individual. It found that those who snacked were 2.7 times, those who did not care about salt were 2.5 times and those who did not care about a well-balanced diet were 2.7 times more at the risk of being diagnosed with dementia later in life. Apart from breakfast habits, there are several other habits that can put a person at the risk of developing the condition. Taking appropriate measures at the right time can help to lower the risk of dementia later in life.

What to eat to lower the risk of dementia
To reduce the risk of dementia try to include a healthy and nutritious meal in your diet. A well-balanced meal, loaded with vitamins and minerals can help you fight several chronic diseases including dementia. The MIND (Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay) diet, created by researchers at Rush University in Chicago can help to slow age-related brain function later in life. Foods to includes in diet:

Whole-grain

Nuts and seeds

Healthy fat

Vegetables

Fruits