# From the plate to the brain: associations between dietary patterns and reduced dementia prevalence and white matter lesions in older Japanese adults

## TL;DR

A Japanese diet rich in protein and minerals is linked to lower dementia rates and fewer brain lesions in older adults.

## Contribution

Identifies a Japanese dietary pattern associated with reduced dementia and white matter lesions using nationwide data.

## Key findings

- A Japanese diet with protein and minerals was linked to lower dementia prevalence (OR=0.56) and Alzheimer’s disease (OR=0.47).
- This diet was also associated with reduced white matter lesion volume (β=−0.03).
- Findings were consistent across multiple study sites and not explained by reverse causation.

## Abstract

Diet is widely considered essential in dementia, but its association with white matter lesions (WMLs) remains unclear. This cross-sectional study investigated the associations between dietary patterns, dementia, and WMLs in a large, nationwide, multicenter population of older Japanese adults. A total of 8,938 adults (aged ≥ 65; 73 ± 6.3 years old) from the Japan Prospective Studies Collaboration for Aging and Dementia (JPSC-AD) were included. Dietary intake was assessed using a Food Frequency Questionnaire. Principal component analysis was used to derive dietary patterns. A trained Convolutional Neural Network model segmented WMLs from brain MR images. Logistic regression estimated odds ratios (ORs) for dementia by dietary pattern quartiles, while linear regression assessed associations with WML volumes. Five dietary patterns were extracted. A Japanese diet including protein and minerals was significantly associated with lower prevalence of all-cause dementia (OR = 0.56) and Alzheimer’s disease (OR = 0.47), and with reduced WML volume (β = − 0.03). Similar directional trends in ORs were observed across study sites. The reverse association with WMLs remained significant among individuals without dementia, reducing the likelihood of reverse causation. A Japanese diet including protein and minerals was associated with lower dementia prevalence and smaller WML volume in older Japanese adults. Drawing on nationwide, large-scale, multicenter data, these findings advance our understanding of dietary patterns in older Japanese adults and provide valuable insights for future intervention studies targeting diet and age-related brain changes.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11357-025-01791-7.