Sweet-tooth diet preference, biological aging and dementia in a prospective cohort
In this prospective cohort, a sweet-tooth dietary preference was associated with higher dementia risk and accelerated biological aging compared with a health-aligned preference; associations are not proof of cause. [1]
Automatic summary · not editorially reviewed
The key findings
Three dietary preference profiles were identified: health-aligned, broad-preference and sweet-tooth. [1]
The sweet-tooth profile was associated with accelerated biological aging on two measures and with shorter telomeres. [1]
Exploratory mediation suggested biological aging markers statistically accounted for 2.28–4.82% of the association. [1]
The source at a glance
- Study type / format
- Prospective cohort study (abstract)
- Population / context
- Participants in a prospective cohort whose dietary preferences were grouped into profiles
- Summary based on
- Study abstract
- Original publication
- October 7, 2026
Diet preference profiles and biological aging measures
The study asked how dietary preference profiles relate to biological aging and to new dementia. Profiles came from food preference questionnaire data, grouped by latent profile analysis. Three profiles emerged: health-aligned, broad-preference and sweet-tooth. Biological aging was measured as acceleration on two biological age measures (Klemera-Doubal method and phenotypic age) and as leucocyte telomere length. The sweet-tooth profile was associated with accelerated biological aging on both measures and with shorter telomeres.
Supporting source [1]
Dementia risk by dietary preference profile
Compared with the health-aligned group, the sweet-tooth group had a 79% higher risk of all-cause dementia, a 62% higher risk of Alzheimer's disease and a 202% higher risk of vascular dementia. A significant additive interaction between the sweet-tooth profile and high genetic risk amplified dementia risk. Exploratory mediation analyses suggested that biological aging markers statistically accounted for 2.28–4.82% of the observed association.
Supporting source [1]
Cohort design and abstract-only limits
This was a prospective cohort study using Cox models for dementia risk and linear regression for biological aging. The abstract does not report sample size, follow-up length, how dementia was ascertained, or how genetic risk was defined. The mediation results are described as exploratory, and the small share attributed to biological aging markers leaves most of the association unexplained. The findings support targeted dietary interventions in principle, but the abstract alone cannot show that changing diet prevents dementia. Only the abstract was reviewed; the full text was not reviewed.
Supporting source [1]
How to interpret this
Abstract only; the full text was not reviewed. Sample size, follow-up, dementia ascertainment and genetic risk definition are not reported. Mediation is exploratory, and associations do not establish causation.
Based on the study abstract; the full paper, tables and supplementary data were not reviewed.
Source & supporting passages
Sun M, Huang F, Sun N, Ding H, Shi F, Wang S, Yao J, He Q. · europepmc.org · October 7, 2026