A recent study led by Newcastle University has brought some good news for people worried about dementia.
The study found that eating a diet similar to the Mediterranean one – which includes lots of seafood, fruits, and nuts – can lower the risk of developing dementia by almost a quarter.
Published in BMC Medicine, this research stands out because it’s one of the largest studies of its kind. Previous studies on this topic had smaller groups of people and fewer dementia cases, making this new research particularly noteworthy.
The scientists analyzed data from 60,298 participants from the UK Biobank. This large group included individuals from all over the UK who had shared details about their diets.
The researchers then compared how closely each person’s diet matched the Mediterranean diet, which is rich in healthy, plant-based foods and healthy fats.
The participants were tracked for nearly a decade. During this time, 882 people developed dementia. The researchers also looked at each person’s genetic risk for dementia.
They did this by estimating what they call the “polygenic risk,” which basically means looking at all the different genes that could make a person more likely to get dementia.
Dr. Oliver Shannon, who led the study along with Professor Emma Stevenson and Professor David Llewellyn, highlighted the importance of finding ways to reduce dementia risk, given the current limited treatment options.
This study points to the Mediterranean diet as a possible way.
Interestingly, the study found that the benefits of following a Mediterranean diet applied to everyone, regardless of their genetic risk for dementia.
This suggests that even people who are genetically more likely to develop dementia could reduce their risk by eating a healthier diet.
However, the authors note that this wasn’t consistent across all their analyses and suggest that more research is needed in this area.
Professor John Mathers, a nutrition expert from Newcastle University, emphasized that this study reinforces the idea that we can all reduce our dementia risk by eating better, regardless of our genetic makeup.
An important point to note is that the study mainly included people who reported being white, British, or Irish. This was because the genetic data they used was based on European ancestry.
So, the researchers say that more studies are needed in different groups of people to fully understand the potential benefits of a Mediterranean diet in reducing dementia risk.
In conclusion, the study suggests that a Mediterranean diet, rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fats, could be a key part of future strategies to reduce the risk of dementia.
Dr. Janice Ranson from the University of Exeter, a co-lead author of the study, highlights that this type of diet is likely a beneficial lifestyle choice for people looking to make healthy dietary changes to protect their brain health.
This study adds to the growing body of evidence that what we eat can significantly impact our long-term brain health.
If you care about brain health, please read studies about inflammation that may actually slow down cognitive decline in older people, and low vitamin D may speed up cognitive decline.
For more information about brain health, please see recent studies about common exercises that could protect against cognitive decline, and results showing that this MIND diet may protect your cognitive function, and prevent dementia.
The research findings can be found in BMC Medicine.
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