<p>People who don&rsquo;t have dementia are more likely to have a diverse diet with healthier combinations of foods, according to a new study from France.<br></p>



<p>Investigators used complex systems models to study &ldquo;food networks,&rdquo; or how people combine food choices. Participants with and without dementia were evaluated five years after completing a diet questionnaire for a year. The results showed stark diet differences between the groups &ndash; years before the participants with dementia were diagnosed.<br></p>



<p>The quantity of food eaten wasn&rsquo;t much different between the two groups, but overall food groups differed greatly. In fact, processed meats turned out to be a sort of food combination &ldquo;hub&rdquo; for participants subsequently diagnosed with dementia. This group tended to accompany meat with starchy foods like potatoes, and snacks like cookies and cakes.&nbsp;<br></p>



<p>In contrast, those who consumed a wider variety of food including fruit, vegetables and seafood were less likely to have dementia, reported C&eacute;cilia Samieri, Ph.D., from the University of Bordeaux.<br></p>



<p>One study limitation is that dietary changes in the years following questionnaire completion are unknown, said the researchers.</p>



<p><br><a href="https://n.neurology.org/content/early/2020/04/21/WNL.0000000000009399" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)">Full findings</a> were published Wednesday in the online issue of <em>Neurology</em>.</p>
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