A new study published in Nature Medicine has found that following a Mediterranean-style diet can help offset a person’s genetic risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers analyzed data from over 4,200 women and 1,500 men, and found that those who followed a more Mediterranean diet had a lower risk of developing dementia and showed slower cognitive decline.
The study, led by Yuxi Liu, found that the protective effect of the diet was strongest in individuals with two copies of the APOE4 gene variant, suggesting that diet may help offset genetic risk. The researchers suggest that dietary strategies could help reduce the risk of cognitive decline and stave off dementia by broadly influencing key metabolic pathways.
Alzheimer’s disease is known to have a strong genetic component, with heritability estimated at up to 80 percent. One gene in particular, apolipoprotein E, or APOE, has emerged as the strongest genetic risk factor for sporadic Alzheimer’s disease. People who carry one copy of the APOE4 variant have a three- to fourfold higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s.
The Mediterranean diet was found to reduce dementia risk and slow cognitive decline in individuals with high genetic risk. The study suggests that dietary strategies, specifically the Mediterranean diet, could help reduce the risk of cognitive decline and stave off dementia by broadly influencing key metabolic pathways.
While the study has limitations, including a lack of diversity in the population, researchers hope to explore whether targeting specific metabolites through diet or other interventions could provide a more personalized approach to reducing dementia risk.
Source: https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2025/08/mediterranean-diet-offsets-genetic-risk-for-dementia-study-finds