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This Could Be a Surprising Health Benefit of Cooking at Home

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A person wearing an apron and tossing a salad in the kitchenCooking at home has many benefits, such as a lower risk of developing diabetes, eating fewer calories and eating more nutritious foods. But could cooking at home decrease your chances of developing dementia?

Background

Researchers in Japan looked at whether cooking at home affects a person’s chances of developing dementia. The study spanned 6 years from 2016 to 2012, and reviewed almost 11,000 older adults over the age of 65 years who were originally part of a study called the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study (JAGES). More than half of the participants were retired, half were female, and 20% of the adults were over 80 years or age.

The participants received a questionnaire and were asked to rate their own cooking skills (from unable to very well), and were also asked how often they cooked from scratch every week (from never up to 5x per week.) Long term care health data from home assessments and medical exams were used to assess participants’ cognitive impairment status.

What the study found

About 50% of the participants cooked at least 5 times a week while over 25% did not. Women tended to cook more often than men. Those with higher cooking skills cooked more often than people with low cooking skills.

Overall, cooking at least once a week was associated with a 23% lower risk of dementia in older men and 27% lower risk in older women. The benefit was even higher for people who were novice cooks with lower cooking skills.

Limitations of the study

This study is not direct proof that home cooking prevents dementia. Instead, the research only shows that there could be a link or association between home cooking and a person’s risk of developing dementia.

The study involved older adults who live in Japan and so the results may not apply to other communities. The lifestyle, social and cultural habits of Japanese seniors may be different from your’s. For example, the types of food and how it is cooked varies from culture to culture.

How you can use this information

According to the Alzheimer Society of Canada, there are many risk factors for dementia such as: age, gender, genetics, depression, traumatic brain injury, hearing loss, social isolation, lack of physical activity and poor diet.

While this study doesn’t directly prove that cooking reduces the risk of dementia, there are still many benefits to cooking at home. It’s a task that provides opportunities for cognitive stimulation and physical activity. For example, meal planning consists of thinking about menus, required ingredients, budget, best-before dates and cooking methods. Trying new recipes can also challenge the brain. Shopping for ingredients as well as chopping ingredients and cleaning are active physical tasks for older adults.

If you can, try to cook meals at least once a week. Look for new recipes and experiment with new ingredients. Invite a few friends over to cook and eat with you. Have fun!

 

References:

– Klein L, Parks K. Home meal preparation: A powerful medical intervention. American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, 2020 Mar 1;14(3):282-285. 
– Tani Y, Fujiwara T, Kondo K. Home cooking, cooking skills and dementia requiring long-term care: a population-based cohort study in Japan. J Epidemiol Community Health. Published Online First: 24 March 2026. 

 

Ask a Dietitian: What’s the difference between INTACT grains and WHOLE grains?

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A loaf of whole grain bread

You’ve probably heard of whole grains – they include all three parts of the grain (bran, endosperm, germ) and are linked to health benefits such as a lower risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease. 

Intact grains are whole grains that have not been processed. Now, I want to stress that “processed” is not a bad word. Whole grains can be processed by milling the grain into some flour to make other foods (such as whole wheat bread) or by steaming and rolling the grain into thinner pieces so that they cook faster (such as rolled oats or instant oats).

Here are a few examples of intact grains and whole grains.

Wheat berries are an intact grain.  They have not been processed.

Bulgur is a whole grain. It’s made by boiling, drying and then cracking the wheat berries. This processing speeds up the cooking time of bulgur.

Whole wheat bread is a whole grain. It’s made by milling the wheat berries into flour used to make the bread.

Wheat berries, bulgur and whole wheat bread

 

 

 

 

Oat groats (also called oat kernels) are an intact grain. They have not been processed, milled or cut.

Steel cut oats are a whole grain. They’re minimally processed oat groats that have been cut into 2-3 pieces with a steel blade.

Old-fashioned rolled oats are a whole grain. They’re made by steaming the oat groats and then rolling them into large flakes.

Instant oats are a whole grain. The groats are steamed the longest and rolled out the thinnest, making them the fastest to cook.

Different types of oats

Other examples of  intact grains are amaranth, buckwheat, farro and quinoa.

Both whole grains and intact grains provide excellent nutrition. Intact grains can take longer to cook but may have a slight health advantage. For example, research shows that blood sugar levels were lower after eating intact oats compared to very thinly cut oats.

The bottom line: Whole grains and intact grains are nutritious and versatile. Eat a variety of whole grains and intact grains every day! Here are a few simple ideas:

  1. Have a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast.
  2. Make a tabbouleh salad with bulgur.
  3. Add a handful of quinoa to your favourite salad.
  4. Try soba noodles (buckwheat noodles).
  5. Make a sandwich on whole wheat bread.

 

References:
– Jones, JM & Engleson, J., International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition. 2020 Sep;71(6):668-677. Whole grain consumption and human health: an umbrella review of observational studies.  doi: 10.1080/09637486.2020.1715354.
– Musa-Veloso K. et al. Journal of Nutrition. 2021 Feb 1;151(2):341-351.  A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials on the Effects of Oats and Oat Processing on Postprandial Blood Glucose and Insulin Responses. doi: 10.1093/jn/nxaa349.