TOKYO, Feb 3, 2025 - (JCN Newswire) - National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology and Eisai Co., Ltd. announced today that Eisai has created the “Guidance on Reducing the Risk of Cognitive Decline and Nutrition” (hereinafter “the guidance”) and the “Handbook for Developing Home Delivery Meals/Meal Kits that Contribute to Reducing the Risk of Cognitive Decline” (hereinafter “the handbook”) under the supervision of NCGG. These documents are being provided to food-related companies, including those offering home delivery meal/meal kit services.
A healthy diet has been known to play an important role throughout life in growth, development, and disease prevention. In recent years, its potential benefit in the prevention of dementia and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) has also been reported. As the understanding of the importance of early detection and intervention for cognitive decline is increasing, an appropriate diet is considered to be a key element in reducing the risk of dementia.
NCGG promotes initiatives both to publish research findings that contribute to maintaining cognitive function and improving public nutrition, and to implement these findings within society. Eisai aims to contribute to the solution of dementia-related challenges by leveraging its 40 years of research and development experience in the field of dementia and collaborating with various partners. Under the supervision of NCGG, Eisai reviewed 8,269 domestic and international studies regarding nutrition and diets that reduce the risk of cognitive decline, applying the results to the creation of guidance regarding the types of diets thatmay potentially reduce the risk of cognitive decline. Additionally, after an objective assessment of evidence associated with themaintenance and improvement of cognitive functions, Eisai created a handbook on developing home delivery meal/meal kit menus from the perspective of “preventing malnutrition and frailty that leads to cognitive decline,” “nutrients that reduce the riskof cognitive decline,” and “nutritional balance that reduces the risk of cognitive decline”. Eisai is providing this guidance and handbook upon request to food-related companies that have agreed to support dementia awareness activities. NCGG and Eisai are planning to expand collaborations with food-related companies, not limited to home delivery meals/meal kits businesses.
This initiative also contributes to the realization of a dementia-inclusive society as indicated in the national “Basic Act on Dementia to Promote an Inclusive Society.” NCGG and Eisai aim to improve public nutrition through collaboration amongindustry, government, and academia, contributing to the extension of healthy life expectancy and the creation of a society where the elderly can continue to live with peace-of-mind within their communities.
Regarding the “Guidance Reducing the Risk of Cognitive Decline and Nutrition” and the “Handbook for Developing Home Delivery Meals/Meal Kits that Contribute to Reducing the Risk of Cognitive Decline”
Eisai reviewed 8,269 domestic and international research articles, including those by Director-General of Research Institute Dr. TakashiSakurai of NCGG, considering nutritional interventions recommended by the WHO. Under the supervision of NCGG, Eisai compiled the “Guidance on Reducing the Risk of Cognitive Decline and Nutrition” and the “Handbook for Developing Home Delivery Meals/Meal Kits that Contribute to Reducing the Risk of Cognitive Decline” to enable food-related companies to leverage academic insights in new business ventures.
Overview of Guidance on Reducing the Risk of Cognitive Decline and Nutrition
When growing older, focus shifts from preventing overnutrition, which is associated with lifestyle diseases such as diabetes, to preventingundernutrition, which is associated with frailty. This is also the period where the risk of dementia onset increases. Elderly individuals withcognitive decline may have an increased risk of overnutrition due to changes in preferences and eating habits, while some may have an increased risk of undernutrition due to decreased physical function and activity levels, leading to reduced food intake. This makes elderly people with cognitive impairment more susceptible to nutritional imbalances compared to the general elderly population. This guidancereviews domestic and international research on nutrition and diets that reduce the risk of cognitive decline, aiming to delve into what dietmay potentially reduce this risk.
Overview of the Handbook for Developing Home Delivery Meals/Meal Kits that Contribute to Reducing the Risk of Cognitive Decline
Typical home delivery meal/meal kit menus are formulated by referring to the Dietary Reference Intakes for Japanese (2020 edition, last updated January 21, 2020) and the Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan (8th revised edition) Supplement 2023 (published in April 2023). This handbook is a reference material compiled for those involved in menu development, such as registered dietitians, to provide information on developing home delivery meal/meal kit menus that contribute to reducing the risk of cognitive decline while complying with these standards.
Currently, the following companies have recognized the value of this initiative and are promoting development of their menus and services using this guideline and handbook. Eisai also looks forward to collaborating with more companies in the future.
*Each company will develop and manufacture healthy bento boxes and meal kits based on the “Guidelines for Developing Home DeliveryMeals/Meal Kits that Contribute to Reducing the Risk of Cognitive Decline,” created by Eisai under the supervision of NCGG. The development and manufacturing will be conducted by these companies at their own discretion.
About NCGG
The National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology (NCGG) was established in 2004 as the sixth national center. It became an independent administrative institution in 2010 and a national research and development agency in 2015. To advance innovative medical care for geriatric syndromes such as dementia and frailty in Japan, the center conducts various basic, clinical, and epidemiological research on aging.
About Eisai
Eisai’s Corporate Concept is “to give first thought to patients and people in the daily living domain, and to increase the benefits thathealth care provides.” Under this Concept (also known as our human health care (hhc) Concept), we aim to effectively achieve social good in the form of relieving anxiety over health and reducing health disparities. With a global network of R&D facilities, manufacturing sites, and marketing subsidiaries, we strive to create and deliver innovative products to target diseases with high unmet medical needs, with a particular focus in our strategic areas of “Neurology,” “Oncology” and “Global Health.”
In addition, our continued commitment to the elimination of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), which is a target (3.3) of the UnitedNations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), is demonstrated by our work on various activities together with global partners.
For more information about Eisai, please visit http://www.eisai.com (for global headquarters: Eisai Co., Ltd.), and connect with us on X,LinkedIn and Facebook.
MEDIA CONTACTS:
National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology
Public Relations Section
TEL: +81(0)562-46-2311
Eisai Co., Ltd.
Public Relations Department
TEL: +81 (0)3-3817-5120