People who don’t have dementia are more likely to have a diverse diet with healthier combinations of foods, according to a new study from France.

Investigators used complex systems models to study “food networks,” 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 – years before the participants with dementia had diagnosed disease.

The quantity of food eaten wasn’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 “hub” for participants in whom dementia subsequently was diagnosed. This group tended to accompany meat with starchy foods such as potatoes, and snacks like cookies and cakes. 

In contrast, those who consumed a wider variety of food including fruit, vegetables and seafood were less likely to have dementia, reported Cécilia Samieri, Ph.D., from the University of Bordeaux.

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


Full findings were published Wednesday in the online issue of Neurology.