Higher saturated fat and cholesterol consumption is associated with a lower risk of dementia

This study was published in Neurology 2002 Dec 24;59(12):1915-21

 

Study title and authors:

Diet and risk of dementia: Does fat matter?: The Rotterdam Study.

Engelhart MJ, Geerlings MI, Ruitenberg A, Van Swieten JC, Hofman A, Witteman JC, Breteler MM.

Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.

 

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12499483

The objective of the study was to examine whether intake of fats are associated with the risk of dementia. The dietary habits of 5,395 subjects with normal cognition were assessed over a six year period.

The study found:
(a) Higher fat consumption was associated with a 7% reduction in dementia.
(b) Higher saturated fat consumption was associated with a 9% reduction in dementia.
(c) Higher cholesterol consumption was associated with a 7% reduction in dementia.
(d) Higher polyunsaturated fat consumption was associated with a 5% increase in dementia.

The data from the study reveals that higher saturated fat and cholesterol consumption is associated with a lower risk of dementia.