Mediterranean diet reduces the risk of dementia

 Dementia risk is lowered by the Mediterranean diet

According to a recent study from Newcastle University, eating a typical Mediterranean-style diet, which includes large amounts of fish, fruits, and nuts, may help reduce the risk of dementia by almost a quarter. This study represents one of the most comprehensive examinations of the connection between the Mediterranean diet and dementia, as earlier research has typically been constrained by small sample sizes and low numbers of dementia patients.

The researchers evaluated dietary assessment data from 60,298 UK Biobank participants and gave each participant a score depending on how closely their diet resembled specific characteristics of the Mediterranean diet. The participants were then monitored for over ten years, during which time 882 of them developed dementia. The researchers also calculated each participant's individual polygenic risk, which is a measure of their genetic risk for dementia (a measure of the variety of genes known to increase the risk of developing dementia). According to the findings, those who regularly followed a Mediterranean-style diet had a 23% lower risk of developing dementia than the other participants.

"Millions of people throughout the world are affected by dementia, and there are currently few choices for treating this condition," said Oliver Shannon, the study's principal author and a lecturer in human nutrition and aging at Newcastle University.

Therefore, a top concern for academics and physicians is to discover treatments to lower our chance of getting dementia. Our research reveals that one way to help people reduce their risk of dementia is to adopt a more Mediterranean-style diet.

The investigators also discovered that there was no significant interaction between the polygenic risk for dementia and adherence to the Mediterranean diet, indicating that even people with high genetic risk can reduce their chance of getting this crippling ailment by improving their diet.

More research is required to ascertain the possible advantages of such a diet in the case of other ethnicities, as the analysis was restricted to those who self-identified as white, British, or Irish.

The results of this substantial population-based study "underline the long-term benefits of a Mediterranean diet, which is rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fats," said Janice Ranson, co-lead author and senior research fellow in neurodegenerative diseases at the University of Exeter.

"The protective impact of this diet against dementia was obvious independent of a person's genetic risk, so this is probably a helpful lifestyle option for those trying to make healthy food choices and lower their risk of dementia," the study's authors write. Future programs to prevent dementia could focus on encouraging individuals to consume more of certain foods and nutrients that are crucial for brain function rather than just providing general healthy eating recommendations.