Cooking at Home Just Once a Week May Cut Dementia Risk by Up to 67%
A six-year study of nearly 11,000 older Japanese adults found that preparing home-cooked meals at least once per week reduced dementia risk by 23-27% overall — and remarkably, up to 67% for people with limited cooking skills who were actively learning. The protective effect appears to come from the cognitive engagement, physical movement, and planning that cooking demands.