A new study published in The Journal of Nutrition, Health and Aging suggests that diet may play a significant role in reducing the risk of dementia. Researchers analyzed data from 131,209 participants in the UK Biobank and found that following healthy dietary patterns, such as the Mediterranean diet and the MIND diet, can lower dementia risk.
The study used five different scoring indices to evaluate participants’ diets, including adherence to the Mediterranean diet, the MIND diet, the Recommended Food Score, and the Alternative Healthy Eating Index. The results showed that those who followed healthier diets had a lower incidence of dementia compared to those who followed pro-inflammatory diets.
The study also found that the impact of diet on dementia risk may be more significant for women and older adults. Participants aged 60 and older who closely followed the Mediterranean diet and the Alternative Healthy Eating Index had reduced dementia risk, while younger participants did not benefit from these dietary patterns.
Furthermore, the study suggests that following a healthy diet can help protect against cognitive decline and mild cognitive impairment. The results also support the idea that inflammatory diets may increase dementia risk, which is in line with prior findings.
The study’s authors acknowledge that there are limitations to the research, including the fact that it was conducted on a relatively narrow age range (40-69) and used self-reported dietary data. However, the results provide strong evidence for the importance of healthy diets in reducing dementia risk.
Experts agree that the findings have significant clinical implications, particularly for older women and individuals with obesity. The study highlights the need for healthcare providers to discuss brain-healthy diets with their patients as part of a comprehensive approach to preventing cognitive decline.
Source: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/mediterranean-3-other-diet-types-may-lower-dementia-risk-especially-women