The Journal of the American Medical Association’s Network Open issue of March, 2025 described a study of research subjects in their late 40’s who were followed for up to 30 years.

British civil service workers’ diets were analyzed and evaluated for nutritional value, quality of foods, variety of food choices, calories, saturated fat, and alcohol. The goal of the study was to evaluate how diet in mid-life affects brain function as we age, especially communication and coordination.

Higher brain function, and white matter integrity, was associated with smaller abdominal fat deposits. The Mediterranean diet, with limited alcohol intake, was linked with better memory and cognitive skills as subjects aged.

As the study concluded, their memory and cognitive skills led the elderly subjects to maintain their quality of life as they independently performed the daily tasks necessary for a full life. They continued to learn and manage social interactions as they had in their middle years.

A key message in this study is the importance of maintaining a healthy weight without excess fat accumulation in the abdomen. The report emphasized the guidelines of the World Health Organization to maintain weight as a deliberate strategy to prevent dementia. The message of improving the quality of diet to maintain “better brain structure and function later in life” is one of hope. It reminds us we may well have agency over the quality of our lives. It is never too late.

Dateline: Town of Colonie, Albany County, New York’s Capital Region