Mediterranean diet reduces risk of dementia by almost a quarter
April 06, 2023 | Food Testing Lab
Research team from Newcastle University found that individuals who consume a Mediterranean-like diet have up to 23 percent lower risk for dementia than their counterparts. A customary Mediterranean diet is rich in variety as it includes seafood, fruits and nuts.
Data was gathered from 60,298 individuals of the UK Biobank who took a dietary assessment. The researchers scored the individuals based on how their diet closely matched the key features of a Mediterranean diet. The participants were then tracked for almost 10 years, during which time there were 882 reported cases of dementia. The researchers also calculated the participants’ polygenic risk.
Although findings were inconsistent across analyses and that further research was needed to assess the interaction between diet and genetics on dementia risk, the findings implied that adhering to a better and healthier diet, like that of Mediterranean diet can be an effective strategy in reducing the risk for dementia.
