Taiwan’s population of individuals living with dementia has surpassed 380,000, and with the nation approaching a super-aged society, numbers are expected to rise sharply.
Nephrologist Dr. Jiang Shoushan has highlighted that the type of carbohydrate consumed may influence dementia risk, noting that those who follow a high glycaemic index (GI) diet face a 14% higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.
Dr. Jiang explained on Facebook that diets rich in rapidly digestible carbohydrates, which spike blood sugar levels, are associated with a higher risk of dementia. Conversely, consuming more low-GI foods—such as fruits, legumes, and whole grains—appears to significantly reduce Alzheimer’s risk. The findings suggest that carbohydrate quality may be more important than total intake.
The research, conducted collaboratively by the Nutrition and Metabolic Health (NuMeH) group at Rovira i Virgili University (URV), the TecnATox Centre for Environmental, Food and Toxicological Technologies, and the Pere Virgili Health Research Institute (IISPV), analysed data from over 200,000 adults in the UK. At the study’s start, none of the participants had dementia. Detailed dietary questionnaires were used to estimate each participant’s daily glycaemic index and glycaemic load.
Over an average follow-up of 13.25 years, 2,362 participants were diagnosed with dementia. Results showed that those consuming low- to moderate-GI diets had a 16% lower risk of Alzheimer’s, while high-GI diets increased risk by 14%, indicating a clear link between elevated dietary glycaemic index and dementia risk.
