Adopt a diet Mediterranean would reduce the risk of dementia including Alzheimer’s diseasereports a great study published on BMC Medicine on March 14, 2023 and conducted on a cohort (UK Biobank cohort) of more than 60,000 attendees followed for over 9 years in the UK. In details, the risk of dementia, all causes combined, would be reduced by -23% with this mode of feeding. To reach this conclusion, the authors scored individuals according to the proximity of their diet to the main characteristics of the mediterranean diet. The Mediterranean diet (MedDiet in English or also called cretan diet) is a diet based on consumption of vegetables and fruits at each mealof whole grains (spelt, oat flakes, barley, wild rice, etc.)of legumes, fishd‘olive oil (alternating with rapeseed, linseed, walnut oil, etc.) and a handful of oilseeds (almonds, walnuts, etc.), dairy products (goat’s or sheep’s milk) each day. Consumption of animal fats, including saturated fatty acids (butter, charcuterie, cheese, red meats…) and processed products (cakes, sauces, fast food, etc.) are extremely boundaries. In effect, “consumption of foods rich in omega 3 such as oily fish (mackerel, sardines, herring, salmon), cod liver, walnuts, oils will help nourish the brain and maintain brain capacity. Perfect for optimizing cognitive functions and preventing neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s disease”, explained to us Raphaël Gruman, whom we interviewed on the subject in June 2022.

Reduced risk even with genetic predisposition

Of all the participants in the cohort, the study authors reported “only” 882 cases of dementia at the end of their analysis, i.e. 0.02%. They also showed that adopting this diet reduced the risk of dementia, even in people with a genetic predisposition (to the risk of dementia). The authors caution, however, that their analysis was limited to people who reported their ethnic origin such as white, British or Irish, as genetic data was only available on the European basis. Whether “further research is needed to better assess the interaction between diet and genetics on dementia risk, our study suggests that a more Mediterranean diet may be a strategy to help individuals reduce their risk of dementia“, says John Mathers, professor of nutrition at theNewcastle Universitywho participated in the study.

Source : Adherence to the Mediterranean diet is associated with a lower risk of dementia, independent of genetic predisposition: results from the UK Biobank prospective cohort study, BMC Medicine, 14 March 2023.