Few phrases come up as often in discussions of dementia as "there's nothing you can do when you get old." Many people accept dementia as an inevitable fate of aging. Recently, however, research findings that challenge this stereotype have been published one after another. Scientific evidence is also mounting that changing eating habits after one's 50s and 60s can genuinely transform brain health.
A recent study published in the international journal Neurology found that maintaining a plant-based diet can lower the risk of developing dementia. According to the study, which followed approximately 93,000 adults with an average age of 59 over 10 years, the group that maintained a plant-based diet had about an 11% lower risk of dementia than those who did not.
The effect was particularly pronounced for high-quality plant-based diets consisting of whole grains, nuts, legumes, fruits, and vegetables. The group that consumed the most high-quality plant-based foods showed a 7% lower dementia risk than those who did not. High-quality plant-based diets are rich in fiber, which moderates blood sugar spikes, and are known to protect brain health through antioxidant activity.
Combining diet management with herbal medicine prescriptions can help prevent dementia by protecting brain neurons themselves. A representative example is the traditional Korean herbal medicine 'Yukgongdan.' According to a study published in the international journal Biology by Jaseng Spine and Joint Research Institute, Yukgongdan was confirmed to protect hippocampal neurons and inhibit the tau protein modification that is a key cause of dementia. The hippocampus is the core brain organ responsible for memory and the first region to be damaged as dementia progresses. A compound in Yukgongdan called 'oleanolic acid' was shown to play a key role in blocking the activity of the 'GSK3β' enzyme, which triggers tau protein modification. Tau protein normally maintains the structure of neurons, but when excessively modified, it transforms into a toxic substance that destroys brain cell structures.
Such research is drawing attention because the number of dementia patients is likely to continue growing as population aging accelerates. According to national health statistics from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, the number of dementia patients in Korea rose from 567,433 in 2020 to 709,620 in 2024, an increase of approximately 25% in just four years. Patients with mild cognitive impairment, considered a precursor to dementia, also rose from 277,245 to 332,464 over the same period, an increase of about 20%. Combined, the two conditions already affect more than 1 million people.
What the studies described above commonly emphasize is that "it may not be too late to start now." Managing one's diet after age 50 or 60 not only reduces dementia risk but can also lead to recovery of damaged neurons through herbal medicine prescriptions. The brain responds to change regardless of age. A small choice today can be the first step toward protecting your memory 10 years from now.
