Metal in chocolate could be fueling a wave of dementia

A natural element found in popular sweets like dark chocolate may be linked to an increased risk of developing dementia.

Researchers have for the first time discovered a link between cadmium exposure and memory and thinking problems.

The metal is released from bedrock and cigarette smoke and has shown up in unnatural levels in foods from hot chocolate to brownie and cake mix.

Dr. Liping Lu, a public health and nutrition researcher at Columbia University and co-author of the paper, said: ‘Given the high incidence and high cost of dementia to families and society, it is important to identify risk factors for early cognitive problems that could be affected by changes in individual behavior or in society.’

The study followed 2,172 people aged about 64 with no cognitive problems over a 10-year period. About 61 percent of the participants were white and 39 percent were black.

Researchers measured their cadmium levels at the beginning of the study, and participants regularly took tests to measure their cognitive abilities.

At the end of the study, when researchers looked at the group that had developed cognitive impairment, a precursor to dementia, as a whole, they found no association between cadmium levels and cognitive decline.

But when they broke down the data and analyzed it by demographics, a different pattern emerged.

White people’s cognition declined as their cadmium exposure levels increased.

So much so that white people with high cadmium levels were twice as likely to develop cognitive impairment as white people with low cadmium levels, even after researchers ruled out the effect of other factors such as weight and alcohol consumption.

No association was found between cadmium levels and cognitive decline in black people.

Nearly 10 percent of white people with high cadmium levels developed cognitive problems.

Dr Lu said the difference likely had to do with smoking habits between the two groups.

White participants with high cadmium levels smoked about a pack a day for 23 years, while black participants with high cadmium levels smoked about a pack a day for nine years.

In the short term, inhaling cadmium can cause flu-like symptoms such as fever and muscle aches, shortness of breath and chest pain. Over time, this can lead to kidney disease, lung cancer and weakening of the bones.

It’s not clear how cadmium might affect the brain and researchers say they need to do more studies to determine the link, but health effects already linked to the heavy metal mean it would be wise to reduce exposure to it.

Dr Lu said: “There are many reasons to reduce cadmium exposure, whether through implementing policies and regulations for air and drinking water pollution or through changes in people’s behaviour by stopping smoking or being exposed to cigarette smoke.”

But as smoking trends continue to decline, researchers are considering other possible exposures to cadmium, such as food.

A 2022 study Consumer Reports found cadmium and lead in 23 of 28 chocolate bars tested, including popular ones like Hershey’s.

Researchers at Columbia University found that long-term exposure to high levels of cadmium was linked to memory and thinking problems in white people.

The results are particularly worrying since dementia currently affects about 6.7 million Americans and Researchers This number is estimated to exceed 13 million by 2050.

These levels were small, but when consumed frequently or in large quantities, they can cause health problems, the report said.

Although cadmium is more commonly found in cigarette smoke than in chocolate.

Individuals in the most recent study, which was conductedpublished in the Neurology Magazine According to the American Academy of Neurology, they were most likely exposed to cadmium through tobacco.