Japanese Perspectives on Dietary Patterns and Risk of Dementia

The prevalence of dementia has increased rapidly over the past two decades in Japan, with approximately 15% of people aged 65 years or older estimated to have the condition in 2012. The possible effect of diet on the onset of dementia is thus of tremendous scientific and public interest. The shift in the food supply from a traditional Japanese diet to a Western diet may be related to the rapid rise in the prevalence of dementia in Japan. The limited epidemiological evidence suggests that high adherence to a traditional Japanese diet in addition to a high intake of milk and dairy products and a balanced intake of rice is associated with a decreased risk of dementia. In general, it will be important to pay attention to dietary factors to reduce the societal burden of dementia in the future. Further researches are warranted to confirm these findings.