A diet that is rich in seafood, fruit, vegetables, nuts and olive oil may lower the risk of dementia, a new study suggests.
An analysis of data from more than 60,000 seniors revealed that choosing to follow a Mediterranean diet reduces a person’s likelihood of developing dementia by nearly one quarter, even among those with genes that put that at greater risk, according to the report published [March 14] in the medical journal BMC Medicine.
The new research adds to the mounting evidence that diet can impact the risk of dementia even in people who are at a higher risk because of their genes, said Dr. Thomas Wisniewski, a professor of neurology, pathology and psychiatry and director of the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center and the Center for Cognitive Neurology at NYU Langone.
The new study found almost a one-quarter reduction in risk for dementia, Wisniewski said. “That’s a pretty big risk reduction, by doing something that is not that challenging,” he added.
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While it’s not known exactly how the Mediterranean diet could reduce the risk of dementia, it likely has multiple effects, ranging from reducing antioxidants, helping to tamp down inflammation, and improving the status of the microbiome, Wisniewski said.
