Peeling the spuds may be good for you as new research suggests preparing a home cooked meal slashes our risk of dementia.

A study of 11,000 Japanese over-65s showed those who cooked a meal from scratch at least once a week were 30% less likely to develop dementia. And the data even suggested that the protective benefit for novice cooks could be as high as 70%, as working out a recipe keeps their thinking skills sprightly.

Author Dr Yukako Tani, of the Institute of Science Tokyo, said: "The risk of dementia became lower as people cooked more frequently, and the benefits of cooking were particularly significant for those with low cooking skills, ie, little cooking experience. Creating an environment where people can cook meals when they are older may be important for the prevention of dementia."

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Researchers point out that over recent decades, people have increasingly come to rely on restaurants, takeaways, and frozen food rather than cooking from scratch. For the elderly, preparing food can be a source of physical activity, cognitive stimulation as well as resulting in a meal which tends to be healthier and free from the additives packed into processed foods.

The team examined data on 10,978 people who were tracked for six years until 2022 as part of the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study. A fifth of the participants were aged over 80 and half were women. Some 1,195 people developed dementia over the course of the study.

Those taking part completed questionnaires on how often they cooked from scratch at home, with culinary skills assessed on seven factors, such as the ability to peel fruit and vegetables and make dishes such as stews.

The study, published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, found half of participants cooked at least five times a week. Women and those who were experienced cooks tended to cook more meals at home than men and those who were inexperienced cooks.

Professor Eef Hogervorst, of Loughborough University, said: “Cooking is a complex activity also involving transport, money handling, organisation and memory skills to do shopping and putting food together.

“As Scandinavian cohorts have shown weight loss to occur a couple of years before dementia diagnosis, this may be because people forget to eat or no longer have the skills required to cook. That said, most takeaway meals are too fatty and salty, so home cooked, using whole foods with lots of fresh vegetables, is good for overall health and should be recommended.”

Dr Susan Kohlhaas, executive director at Alzheimer’s Research UK, said: “This study suggests a possible link between home cooking and dementia risk, but it cannot show that cooking itself directly influences whether someone develops the condition.

“While this study doesn’t provide strong evidence that cooking at home reduces dementia risk, there is good evidence that keeping active, eating well, and staying socially connected can help support brain health.”