Researchers then used this information to compare what foods were often eaten together by those with and without dementia.
The study author Cécilia Samieri said: “There is a complex inter-connectedness of foods in a person’s diet, and it is important to understand how these different connections, or food networks, may affect the brain because diet could be a promising way to prevent dementia.”
Regarding their findings, she added: “Processed meats were a ‘hub’ in the food networks of people with dementia.
“People who developed dementia were more likely to combine highly processed meats such as sausages, cured meats and patés with starchy foods like potatoes, alcohol, and snacks like cookies and cakes.”