Doctors group files legal petition urging colorectal cancer warning labels on processed meat

 To help protect Americans from colorectal cancer, which is now the leading cause of cancer death for people under 50, the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine filed a legal petition today urging the U.S. Department of Agriculture to require warning labels on processed meat and poultry products, such as bacon, deli meat, and hot dogs, which have been classified as “carcinogenic to humans” because of their link to colorectal cancer.

“As colorectal cancer rates continue to surge in younger people, the USDA must warn consumers that the bacon, deli meat, hot dogs, and other processed meats they are putting on their plates are putting them at risk for cancer,” says Anna Herby, DHSc, RD, CDCES, nutrition education specialist for the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.

The American Cancer Society estimates that, in 2026, there will be more than 150,000 new cases of colorectal cancer and 55,230 deaths from colorectal cancer.

The petition cites both the Federal Meat Inspection Act and the Poultry Products Inspection Act, which direct the USDA to inspect all meat and poultry. Meat and poultry products that pass inspection are labeled as wholesome and fit for consumers to eat. Adulterated meat and poultry products—which the USDA defines, in part, as “unhealthful” or “unwholesome”—are supposed to be condemned, yet processed meat and poultry products regularly pass inspection and are labeled as fit, despite their link to colorectal cancer.

“Labels should disclose to consumers that USDA has not, and cannot, guarantee that processed meat or poultry products are ‘wholesome’ because they have been shown to increase the risk of colorectal cancer. Such labels are urgently needed,” argues the petition.

To correct the problem, the petition says the USDA should amend the mandatory label on processed meat and poultry products to include the following sentence: “This product might increase the risk of colorectal cancer.”

In 2015, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), which is part of the World Health Organization, classified processed meat as “‘carcinogenic to humans’ (Group 1) on the basis of sufficient evidence for colorectal cancer” after 22 experts from 10 countries assessed more than 800 epidemiological studies. The experts highlighted a meta-analysis that concluded that each 50-gram portion of processed meat (about one hot dog) eaten daily increases the relative risk of colorectal cancer by 18%.

An American Cancer Society study published in JAMA earlier this year found that colorectal cancer mortality is now the leading cause of cancer death for people under 50. Research published in Nutrition and Cancer found that those under the age of 50 who were diagnosed with colorectal cancer were more likely to consume higher amounts of processed meat. 

Despite the abundance of research linking processed meat consumption to colorectal cancer risk, a recent Physicians Committee/Morning Consult poll found that nearly half of Americans are not aware that eating processed meat may increase the risk of developing colorectal cancer, and 64% support a cancer risk warning label on processed meat and poultry products.

“Instead of processed meats, Americans should be filling their plates with more fiber-rich fruits, vegetables, grains, and beans, which have been shown to help reduce the risk of colorectal cancer,” says Dr. Herby.

Older men most likely to reach for saltshakers

Salt has been used as seasoning and food preservative for thousands of years, but having too much of it can lead to various diseases, including high blood pressure, cardiovascular diseases, and kidney disease. Salt overconsumption is also known to accelerate cognitive decline. To avoid increased likelihood of developing such diseases due to salt overconsumption, the WHO recommends adults consume no more than five grams of salt per day.

Salt added to food after preparation accounts for 6-20% of total salt intake. It is known that the behavior varies among socio-demographic groups, but in different cultural and social settings it is not always clear who is most likely to reach for the saltshaker. In a new Frontiers in Public Health study, scientists in Brazil set out to find who among older adults is most likely to do so.

“Adding salt to food at the table remains a relatively common habit among Brazilian older adults and occurs more frequently among men than among women,” said first author Dr Flávia Brito, an associate professor at Rio de Janeiro State University.

“Women’s salt-adding behavior, however, was associated with a wider range of social and dietary characteristics than men’s,” added co-author Dr Débora Santos, a titular professor at Rio de Janeiro State University.

Who likes it extra salty?

The study used survey data from 2016 and 2017 from more than 8,300 Brazilian adults aged 60 years or over. Participants recalled their dietary choices over the previous 24 hours and were asked if they do or don’t have the habit of adding extra salt at the table. Independent variables the researchers included in their analysis were sex, age groups over 60, years of education, whether people lived alone or with others, household income, area of residence, and whether participants included ultra-processed foods, fruits, and vegetables in their diets.

The findings showed that 12.7% of men and 9.4% of women added salt to their foods. Between sexes, different socio-demographic factors were identified to influence salt use at the table.

“Among men, few variables were associated with the habit of adding salt, suggesting that their behavior may be less directly related to specific dietary patterns,” Brito pointed out.

“On the other hand, women’s salt-adding behavior appeared to be more closely linked to broader dietary patterns and contextual characteristics,” added Santos.

Among men, only two factors were significantly associated with adding extra salt. Those on a special diet for high blood pressure were less than half as likely to do so than their counterparts following no such diet. Men who lived alone were 62% more likely to add salt than those living with others. Women’s odds were 68% higher if they did not follow a diet to manage high blood pressure. If they lived in urban areas or often ate ultra-processed foods, the odds doubled. For women who regularly consumed fruits or vegetables, however, the likeliness was 81% or 40% lower, respectively. This could be due to this group paying more attention to diet quality, including reduced salt intake.

Salty habits

The team pointed out that the study doesn’t uncover causal relationships. In addition, salt-adding behavior was self-reported by participants and therefore the data may be biased. It is also possible that salt use has changed since the time of surveying.

Adding extra salt may be due to both taste and habit, the team said. Repeatedly eating high-sodium foods can reduce sensitivity to salty flavors, which may lead to individuals preferring stronger saltiness. Yet, adding extra salt can be more about habit than about improving taste. To reduce overall salt consumption, measures to lower sodium contents in industrialized and ultra-processed foods are needed.

In addition to measures relating to food production, particularly processed foods, there also are measures everyone can take individually. Given the differences between men’s and women’s salt-adding behavior, the researchers said that campaigns aiming to decrease the additional use of salt should be tailored to different population groups, including gender and lifestyle characteristics

“The use of herbs and natural seasonings as alternatives to salt or culinary techniques such as using the acidity of citrus fruits may help reduce discretionary salt use while maintaining food palatability,” concluded Santos. “Practical strategies, such as avoiding the routine placement of saltshakers on the table, may also help reduce habitual salt use.”

---

Following 9 key steps for a lifetime of eating well can support heart health

Statement Highlights:

• Sustaining lifelong healthy eating patterns may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and other chronic health issues, according to the latest updated dietary guidance offered in a new scientific statement from the American Heart Association.
• The guidance emphasizes a dietary pattern rich in vegetables, fruits and whole grains with less sugar, salt and ultraprocessed foods, and prioritizes protein from plant-based sources such as legumes, including beans, peas and lentils, as well as seeds and nuts.
• The update comes at a critical time, as about half of U.S. adults are living with some type of cardiovascular disease, driven in part by high rates of health factors including high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity that are often linked to lifestyle behaviors, particularly poor dietary habits and physical inactivity.

More than half of adults and about 60% of children in the U.S. have unhealthy diets, which can contribute to higher rates of health factors such as high blood pressure and obesity, and lead directly to poor health outcomes including deaths from cardiovascular disease and other chronic conditions, according to the American Heart Association. Following a lifelong healthy eating pattern may significantly reduce risk and is the basis for an updated scientific statement reflecting the latest nutrition guidance published today in Circulation, the peer-reviewed, flagship journal of the American Heart Association, a global force changing the future of health for all.

The 2026 Dietary Guidance to Improve Cardiovascular Health: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association updates the Association’s 2021 guidance with the latest in evidence-based science aligned with reducing cardiovascular disease risk, improving quality of life and saving lives. The statement outlines nine key features of a heart-healthy dietary pattern:

1. Adjust energy intake and expenditure to achieve and maintain a healthy body weight: Try to balance how much you eat with how active you are, to reach and maintain a healthy body weight.
2. Eat plenty of vegetables and fruits and choose a wide variety: Include different colors, textures and types of produce, and remember, even canned and frozen can be nutritious and affordable.
3. Choose foods made mostly with whole grains rather than refined grains: Foods such as whole‑wheat bread, brown rice and oatmeal are better choices than refined grains including white bread or white rice.
4. Choose healthy sources of protein: Shift from meat to plant-based sources such as legumes, including beans, peas and lentils, along with nuts and seeds; regularly consume fish and seafood; select low-fat or fat-free dairy products; and if red meat is desired, choose lean cuts, avoid processed forms and limit portion size.
5. Choose sources of unsaturated fats in place of sources of saturated fat: Replace saturated fats with healthy unsaturated fats, including those from nuts, seeds, avocados and nontropical plant oils.
6. Choose minimally processed foods instead of ultraprocessed foods: Go with foods close to their natural state, with minimal added commercial ingredients, rather than those that are highly processed with additives.
7. Minimize intake of added sugars in beverages and foods: Limit the sugar-sweetened beverages you drink and the foods with added sugar you eat.
8. Choose foods low in sodium and prepare foods with minimal or no salt: Be aware of hidden sources of sodium in commercially prepared and packaged foods and season your food with healthier options such as herbs, spices or lemon instead of salt.
9. If alcohol is not consumed, do not start; if alcohol is consumed, limit intake: Alcohol can increase your risk for high blood pressure and other health conditions, so if you don’t drink, don’t start.

“As a trusted source, the American Heart Association issues evidence‑based dietary guidance about every five years, undertaking a complex review that evolves alongside emerging research. Our 2026 guidance may look familiar, as it hasn’t shifted greatly from the 2021 recommendations,” said Alice H. Lichtenstein, D.Sc., FAHA, volunteer chair of the scientific statement writing committee and senior scientist and leader of the Diet & Chronic Disease Prevention Directive at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University in Boston. “We did find that the science supporting this guidance has strengthened. The stronger body of evidence is driving a few nuanced, yet important, updates that ensure the guidance remains aligned with the most current and strongest science on diet and cardiovascular health.”

The 2026 dietary guidance is a more concise statement focused specifically on what to eat for heart health. The most recent evidence affirms the key features and shifts emphasis to swapping out unhealthy choices for healthier ones. It highlights sources of healthy protein and unsaturated fat and reinforces the importance of adhering to a heart healthy dietary pattern throughout the life course.

Specifics include:

• Protein: While the evidence on the relationship between protein amount and heart disease risk is still uncertain, the 2026 updated guidance recognizes that most people currently consume more protein from meat than plants, so guidance now supports multiple healthy protein choices including plant-rich sources and encourages the exchange of red meat for multiple alternate protein-rich foods, both plant and animal.
• Saturated Fat: Previous guidance focused specifically on using liquid plant oils instead of animal fat, tropical oils or partially hydrogenated fats (trans fats). The 2026 update, instead, provides broader guidance on choosing food sources of unsaturated fat over food sources of saturated fat. The statement also underscores that “dietary patterns that adhere to the 9 features outlined in this document are unlikely to exceed 10% of energy from saturated fat” — aligning with the 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans issued by the federal government.
• Dairy: While still recommending low-fat and fat-free dairy products as a preferred choice to control calories and fat intake, the updated guidance recognizes that the potential health benefits of these compared with full-fat dairy products continue to be debated.
• Ultraprocessed Foods: Current research links the consumption of ultraprocessed foods to poor health outcomes. The updated guidance notes that efforts should focus on encouraging the choice of minimally processed foods as an approach to shifting the marketplace away from ultraprocessed products. The result could be increased availability of minimally processed options wherever people buy or eat food.
• Sodium: Recognizing that many foods, particularly those that are ultraprocessed, are high in sodium, the 2026 guidance puts more emphasis on choosing foods low in sodium and preparing foods with minimal or no salt. It also includes more current information on the role of potassium-rich foods in controlling blood-pressure compared to what was known in 2021.
• Alcohol: The new guidance acknowledges that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the World Health Organization recognize that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption when it comes to the risk of developing certain cancers; the Association’s updated guidance presents the current evidence as it relates to cardiovascular disease and supports the recommendation of not starting to drink or limiting the intake of alcohol if it is consumed.

Progress over perfection

The 2026 dietary guidance focuses on the specific relationship between your health and what you eat. However, Lichtenstein said it’s important to recognize this is neither prescriptive nor restrictive. It is intentionally designed to provide flexibility in customizing a healthy dietary pattern to accommodate personal preferences, ethnic and religious practices, personal needs and budgets and varying life stages. She adds that this is the best approach to encourage lifelong adherence.

“For healthy eating to be more attainable and sustainable, we recommend people focus on their overall eating pattern rather than specific nutrients or foods. This approach is actionable, something that can be modified as people pass through different life-stages, while still adhering to the 9 key features,” she said. “The guidance applies to wherever you eat: at home, school, work, restaurants or in your community. You want to strive for progress rather than perfection. Every time you choose to make a swap for a healthier alternative, you’re making a step toward a healthier life.”

A lifetime of healthy eating: why it matters

Lichtenstein notes that what’s most critical is making healthier choices that can be sustained for a lifetime.

“Cardiovascular disease begins early in life; even prenatal factors can contribute to increased risk in children as they grow. So, it’s important that healthy eating patterns are adopted in childhood and continue throughout the entire lifespan,” she said. “The best way to do that is for adults to role model heart healthy eating patterns inside and outside the home.”

The 2026 updated guidance recommends:

• Children can and should begin following a heart‑healthy dietary pattern starting at 1 year of age.
• Families play a huge role — when adults stock the house with and choose heart-healthy foods, kids are more likely to do the same.
• Dietary needs vary throughout the life course and may change; work with your doctor and health care team to tailor these recommendations to your individual health needs and medical history.
• Heart-healthy dietary patterns are adaptable to cultural and personal food preferences.

According to the American Heart Association’s 2026 Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics, more than half of all U.S. adults currently have some type of cardiovascular disease. The Association projects that number will climb to 1 in 6 U.S. adults by 2050, driven by increased rates of health factors like high blood pressure, obesity and diabetes.

Along with poor dietary habits, most people in the U.S. are not getting an adequate amount of physical activity.

• Also noted in the Association’s 2026 statistics update, only 1 in 4 U.S. adults and 1 in 5 youths 6 to 17 years of age meet national recommendations for being physically active.

This combination of unhealthy eating and physical inactivity is also likely to drive high rates of overweight and obesity among adults and kids.

• More than 40% of adults and more than 1 in 5 children (age 2-19 years of age) have obesity and those numbers are projected to increase, according to American Heart Association forecasts.

“These rates are alarming and reinforce that a lifetime of healthy eating is critical because high blood pressure and obesity are leading drivers of chronic disease and death. As we look at our work to improve the health of all people, it’s critical to understand the need for earlier prevention efforts,” said Amit Khera, M.D., FAHA, volunteer vice-chair of the dietary guidance writing committee and the director of preventive cardiology and clinical chief of cardiology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. “Intentional choices at all stages of life can make a big difference. Parents and other adults can support and model overall healthy behaviors for their children for a healthy start.”

Khera noted that as much as 80% of heart disease and stroke is preventable and that following the American Heart Association’s Life’s Essential 8™ healthy lifestyle guidance can support those prevention efforts. Life’s Essential 8 is a set of four health behaviors (eat better, be more active, quit tobacco and get healthy sleep) and four health factors (manage weight, control cholesterol, manage blood sugar and manage blood pressure) that are key measures for improving and maintaining cardiovascular health.

“Integrating the elements of the 2026 dietary guidance into your everyday life is an excellent first step toward reducing — and importantly preventing — the risk of heart disease and stroke for you and your family for years to come,” he said.

Beyond heart health

The 2026 dietary guidance provides additional benefits beyond support for cardiovascular health.

A heart-healthy dietary pattern also provides a combination of foods and beverages that:

• Meet the essential nutrient requirements for most people in terms of vitamins, essential minerals and other health-promoting components. This means most people would not need to calculate how much of each nutrient is in their diet or take dietary supplements, with possible exceptions for pregnant women, some older adults and those following restricted diets.
• Are rich in healthy fiber from vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts, seeds and legumes including beans, peas and lentils.
• Limit foods high in dietary cholesterol by replacing fatty and processed meats with plant-based and lean sources and replacing full fat dairy with non-fat and low-fat dairy, while allowing for moderate egg consumption.
• Help keep saturated fat to 10% or less of total daily calories.

While the updated guidance is specifically designed to improve cardiovascular health, it is generally consistent with dietary recommendations for other conditions like type 2 diabetes, kidney disease, some cancers and brain health. This is largely due to shared risk factors that impact both physical and cognitive health, including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, high blood sugar, excess weight and reduced kidney function — all impacted by dietary intake.

“What you put in your body is going to significantly impact how it performs and changes as you age,” Lichtenstein said. “A healthy dietary pattern can support lifelong health and well-being beyond cardiovascular health.”

Addressing the issue

The American Heart Association continues to aggressively address the root causes of poor diets, including food insecurity, through evidence‑based policy advocacy, community investment and health care innovation. Specific initiatives include:

• Informing the definition of ultraprocessed foods as applied in public policy.
• Supporting the development of a front-of-pack nutrition labeling system and a “healthy” icon for food packaging.
• Federal, state and local advocacy efforts support making healthy food more accessible and discouraging consumption of sugary drinks to improve diet quality.
• Advocating to increase funding for nutrition science research, including food is medicine research, at the National Institutes of Health.
• Through the Health Care by Food™ initiative and The Periodic Table of Food Initiative (PTFI)®, the Association is improving the understanding of the critical role healthy food can play in preventing and managing chronic disease.
• The Association is expanding its community-level impact by investing in local organizations through American Heart Association’s Social Impact Funds, including the Bernard J. Tyson Impact Fund, to increase access to affordable, healthy foods in under‑resourced communities.

“Together, these efforts complement the Association’s new dietary guidance by helping ensure more people can consistently access and benefit from heart‑healthy foods,” Khera said.

To learn more about eating for your heart and brain health, visit heart.org/healthydiet and talk to your health care provider about what will work best for you. 

Irregular bedtime linked to higher risk of cardiac events

An irregular bedtime in midlife may signal an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. A new study from the University of Oulu suggests that large swings in when people go to bed could double the risk of serious cardiac events—particularly among those who get less than eight hours of sleep.

The researchers found that inconsistent bedtimes and greater variability in sleep timing were strongly associated with a higher risk of major cardiovascular events, especially when measured time in bed fell below eight hours. In this group, the risk was roughly twice that of people with more regular sleep patterns. By contrast, irregular wake-up times showed no clear link to cardiac events. In the study, major cardiovascular events were defined as conditions requiring specialised medical care, such as myocardial infarction or cerebral infarction.

“Previous research has linked irregular sleep patterns to heart health risks, but this is the first time we’ve looked separately at variability in bedtime, wake-up time and the midpoint of the sleep period—and their independent associations with major cardiac events,” says postdoctoral researcher Laura Nauha from the University of Oulu.

Sleep duration and timing were estimated using activity monitors that tracked participants’ time in bed.

“Our findings suggest that the regularity of bedtime, in particular, may be important for heart health. It reflects the rhythms of everyday life—and how much they fluctuate,” Nauha says.

The study followed 3,231 individuals born in Northern Finland in 1966. Their sleep patterns were recorded over one week at age 46, and their health outcomes were tracked for more than a decade using healthcare register data.

According to Nauha, many aspects of heart health are shaped by everyday habits. “Maintaining a regular sleep schedule is one factor that most of us can influence.”

A sharper mind and body with a fake supplement in just 3 weeks

 

Taking a fake supplement (actually a placebo) for 3 weeks can lead to both physical and cognitive improvements in older adults: this is the power of the placebo effect revealed by research conducted by psychologists at the Università Cattolica at Milan; the placebo works even when the persons taking it is aware of what they are actually taking. The study was published in the International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology and led by Diletta Barbiani, Alessandro Antonietti, and Francesco Pagnini, and was funded by PNRR grants from the Age-IT project.

“The study is part of an established line of research in which we analyze the role of the mind in aging processes, which is very important,” Pagnini, Full Professor of Clinical Psychology at the Faculty of Psychology of the Università Cattolica emphasizes.

No study had yet examined whether a placebo in its traditional sense—an inert treatment presented as active—could influence functions that tend to decline naturally with age. “Our goal,” Professor Pagnini explains, “was to clarify whether an open-label placebo therapy (i.e., where the recipient is aware it is a placebo) or a fake supplement (people don’t know it’s a placebo) could influence psychological, cognitive, and physical functions in older adults living in the community.”

The researchers enrolled 90 healthy older adults, randomly assigned to one of three conditions: a control group that received no intervention; a deceptive placebo group that received placebo pills while being told they contained active ingredients effective in improving function and well-being; and an open-label placebo group, explicitly informed that the pills were inert but capable of inducing beneficial mind-body responses. Participants completed self-report questionnaires (providing information on levels of perceived stress, psychological well-being, sleepiness, fatigue, optimism, self-efficacy, and stereotypes about aging) and objective tests of short-term memory, selective attention, and physical performance before and after the 3-week intervention.

It turned out that after 3 weeks, the open-label placebo group showed lower levels of perceived stress compared to both the sham placebo group and the control group. Short-term memory performance also improved significantly in the open-label placebo group compared to the controls. The analyses revealed consistent cognitive and physical improvements in both placebo groups, with particularly pronounced effects in the open-label placebo group. Specifically, researchers found that the placebo improved physical performance by 7% when taken under deception, and by 9.2% when taken knowingly. Cognitive performance improved, depending on the assessment test used by the psychologists, by between 12.6% and 14.6% in the case of the sham supplement (deceptive placebo), and by between 6.9% and 21.5% in the case of the placebo taken knowingly. “These are significant effects,” the psychologist emphasizes, “comparable to those seen in some experimental studies on physical activity regarding physical performance and cognitive training, especially with regard to memory.” Among the various effects observed, there was an improvement in drowsiness and, particularly for the group aware they are taking the placebo, in stress levels.

Placebo interventions improved multiple functional domains in older adults, with open-label placebos producing benefits comparable to or greater than those of sham placebos. These results suggest the potential of open-label placebos as a promising and ethically acceptable approach to promoting healthy aging. These findings are another piece in the scientific literature demonstrating how the role of the mind—understood as thoughts, emotions, and self-perception—is extremely relevant in the aging process—not only regarding psychological well-being, which is quite intuitive, but also regarding physical and cognitive function, professor Pagnini concludes.

Too much dietary salt linked to new cases of heart failure

 Excessive consumption of dietary sodium (salt) is a significant, independent risk factor for new-onset heart failure, according to a report from Vanderbilt Health.

 

In a group of predominantly Black and low-income people from the southeastern United States, consuming a population average of about 4,200 milligrams of dietary sodium a day (the recommended maximum is 2,300 milligrams) was associated with a 15% increase in the risk of incident (new) cases of heart failure.

 

“Even modest reductions in sodium consumption may significantly reduce the burden of heart failure in this high-risk population,” the researchers reported March 17 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology: Advances.

 

Reducing dietary salt consumption is not a simple matter, however, cautioned the paper’s corresponding author, Deepak Gupta, MD, MSCI, associate professor of Medicine and director of the Vanderbilt Translational and Clinical Cardiovascular Research Center (VTRACC).

 

Multilevel, public health strategies may be required to address grocery store availability and limited transportation options that make it difficult for residents of many low-income, high-risk communities to access healthier food options, Gupta said.

 

Leonie Dupuis, MD, a third-year resident physician in internal medicine at Vanderbilt Health, is first author of the paper, which analyzed dietary and health records of more than 25,300 participants in the federally funded Southern Community Cohort Study.

 

The SCCS has tracked the health of predominantly Black and low-income residents of 12 southeastern states since 2001. Most of them were enrolled in this and other studies through community health centers.

 

Average daily sodium consumption in this group was 4,269 milligrams per day, well above the daily, 2,300-milligram limit recommended by federal dietary guidelines.

 

The increased risk of heart failure linked to sodium was independent of sociodemographic factors, including diet quality and caloric intake, as well as health conditions such as high blood pressure and high lipid blood levels.

 

Heart failure contributes to 425,000 deaths in the United States each year. The cost of caring for the estimated 1 million new cases of heart failure diagnosed annually runs into the tens of billions of dollars.

 

Even a modest reduction in dietary salt, to 4,000 milligrams a day or less, could reduce heart failure cases by 6.6% over 10 years, the researchers predicted. That would translate into fewer deaths from heart failure and a nearly $2-billion-a-year reduction in national health expenditures.

 

Preparing a home cooked meal at least once a week may cut older people’s dementia risk by 30%

 

This risk may be 70% lower in novice cooks with few culinary skills, study suggests

FacebookXLinkedInWeChatBlueskyMessageWhatsAppEmail

Preparing a home cooked meal at least once a week may cut older people’s risk of dementia by 30%, suggests research published online in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health. 

And this risk may be 70% lower in older novice cooks with few culinary skills, the findings indicate. 

Over the past few decades, people have increasingly come to rely on restaurants, takeaways, and frozen food rather than cooking their meals at home, note the Japanese researchers. 

But for older people, meal preparation is not only an important source of physical activity, but also cognitive stimulus, they add. 

As such, they wanted to find out if the frequency of home cooking might be associated with the incidence of dementia and if this might depend on the level of cooking skills. 

They drew on 10,978 participants, aged at least 65, from the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study, whose cognitive health was tracked for 6 years up to 2022.  

A fifth of the participants were aged 80+ and half were women. A third had fewer than 9 years of education, and 40% had an annual income of  less than 2 million yen (under £10,000/US$ 12,500). More than half were retired. 

Participants filled in questionnaires on how often they cooked meaals from scratch at home, ranging from never to more than 5 times a week, as well as the extent of their culinary competence. This was assessed on 7 skills, ranging from the ability/inability to peel fruit and vegetables to the ability/inability to make stews. 

Around half of the participants cooked at least five times a week, while more than a quarter didn’t. Women and those who were experienced cooks tended to cook more meals at home than men and those who were inexperienced cooks.

Cases of dementia were ascertained from data in the public insurance system, which captures functionally significant cognitive impairment requiring care. 

During the tracking period, 1195 people developed dementia (cumulative incidence 11%); 870 died and another 157 moved away before developing dementia.

Analysis of the data showed that greater cooking frequency was associated with a lower risk of dementia in both men and women, but differed according to the extent of culinary competency. 

Cooking from scratch at least once a week was associated with a 23% lower risk of dementia in men and a 27% lower risk in women than cooking less than once a week. 

And for those with few cooking skills, cooking a meal from scratch at least once a week was associated with a 67% reduction in the risk of dementia.  

While a high degree of culinary competency was also associated with a lower risk of dementia, cooking frequency didn’t reduce the risk of dementia further. 

These findings held true after accounting for potentially influential factors, such as lifestyle, household income, and years of education, and they were independent of other activities positively associated with cognitive reserve, such as crafting, volunteering, and gardening.

This is an observational study, and as such, no firm conclusions can be drawn about cause and effect. And cases of mild dementia would not have been included in the registry data and the classification of cooking skills may not have differentiated between those cooking simple meals because they didn’t like cooking and those unable to cook, the researchers highlight. 

The findings may not apply more widely because what food is eaten, and how it is prepared, vary from culture to culture, they add. 

Nevertheless, they conclude: “Creating an environment where people can cook meals when they are older may be important for the prevention of dementia.” 

---

DOI

10.1136/jech-2025-225139