SNAP benefits can help you improve your memory

According to a new study from Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health, eligible seniors who participate in the U.
S.
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) may experience slower memory loss than eligible people who do not
.
The researchers found that over a 10-year period, people who used SNAP spent about two years less cognitively aging than those who didn't
.

The study was published in
Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
SNAP is a government program that helps low-income families achieve food security
through financial subsidies for food purchases.

Senior author Dr.
Adina Zeki Al Hazzouri, assistant professor of epidemiology at Columbia University's Melman School of Public Health, said: "Less than half of older adults who are eligible for the SNAP program actually participated in this study, but our findings suggest that over a 10-year period, people who used the SNAP program experienced two years less cognitive aging
than those who did not.
With the number of people living with Alzheimer's and other dementias expected to increase, this low participation rate is a huge, missed opportunity
to prevent dementia.
”

Zeki Al Hazzouri said increased education and outreach, reduced stigma and a streamlined application process all help increase participation among older adults
.

The study involved 3,555 people
with an average age of 66 who were eligible for SNAP benefits.
Of those, 559 were eligible SNAP users and 2,996 were eligible but did not use the project
.

The researchers measured memory function
every two years for 20 years.
The researchers asked the subjects to complete memory and thinking tests, such as recalling a string of words and answering what
they could remember in their daily lives.

At the beginning of the study, SNAP users had lower socioeconomic status and more people with chronic illnesses than those who did not participate in the project, so the researchers used technology to account for these differences
.
After adjusting for the differences between the two groups, the researchers found that while SNAP users had poorer memory scores at the start of the study, their memory declined more slowly
than those who did not use SNAP over the course of the study.
In particular, the researchers found that over a 10-year period, people who used SNAP had about two years less time to cognitive aging than those who didn't
.
"While the primary goal of SNAP is to reduce food insecurity in low-income households and increase access to more food in higher quantity and quality, eating healthier may also benefit brain health," said
Peiyi Lu, Ph.
D.
, lead author of the study and a postdoctoral research scientist in epidemiology at the Mailman School in Colombia.
SNAP may also reduce stress and overall financial hardship, which are linked
to premature cognitive aging and decreased brain health.
Future research should explore these potential effects
.
”