Craving these foods could be a sign of this serious brain condition

Not only should you watch what you eat, but paying attention to the foods you crave could help detect a serious brain condition, experts say. Apparently, these cravings could be early symptoms of a type of dementia.

Dementia

It is estimated that around 67,000 people die in the UK annually due to dementia, making it the UK’s biggest killer. As of now, there, there’s no treatment for it, although the scientific and medical community is hopeful that will change in the next decade. According to the NHS:

Dementia is not a single illness, but a group of symptoms caused by damage to the brain.

The health service regulator says the signs to look out for include:

• memory loss, such as remembering past events much more easily than recent ones
• problems thinking or reasoning, or finding it hard to follow conversations or TV programmes
• feeling anxious, depressed or angry about memory loss, or feeling confused, even when in a familiar environment

Alzheimer’s and food

Alzheimer’s disease makes up the majority of dementia cases in the UK, although many confuse it with dementia.

According to Nottinghamshire Live, a rare form of this type of dementia is the frontotemporal dementia (FTD). It presents symptoms associated with behaviour and language. The Alzheimer’s UK charity said:

Sometimes people with dementia make food choices that don’t match their usual beliefs or preferences. For example, a person who has been a lifelong vegetarian may want to eat meat.

The charity explains that this could be because of a change in preference, a recollection of a time they used to eat meat, or forgetting that they no longer eat meat. People with this type of dementia may also crave sugary things, foods high in fat as well as carbohydrates.

They may also no longer know when to stop eating, drinking alcohol, or smoking.

Read more:

⋙ Dementia: Where you live could be linked to cognitive decline

⋙ Dementia: Commonly prescribed drug has been linked to cognitive decline

⋙ Alzheimer’s dementia: Afternoon naps may be an early sign of the disease