Scientists Link Craving for This Type of Food to Dementia Onset

A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association associated a sudden craving for sweet foods and poor table manners with the onset of frontotemporal (FTD) dementia, reports the International Business Times . Persons also may become rude or insensitive and act rashly or impulsively. They also appear to be subdued and incapable of empathy, while compulsive eating and drinking are additional symptoms. University of Sydney Professor Rebekah Ahmed's team used unique obesity research methods to measure sucrose preference and total intake in FTD. They also learned that altered eating behavior resulting from FTD is governed by complex brain networks and tends to affect people who are 45 to 65 years old. Researchers also found that an active physical and mental lifestyle can boost resilience to FTD, and their findings were consistent across participants with genetic profiles that make them susceptible to FTD.