What is this diet that decreases the risk of developing dementia by 23%?

Fruits, vegetables, fish, seeds, olive oil… Versus a steak or even processed food: it is no longer very difficult today to know which of these two options is better for health. We know it, the Mediterranean diet is the big favoritehe has moreover voted “best diet” for the sixth consecutive year by the American magazine US News in early January 2023. But did you know that it helps prevent cognitive decline? At least that’s what a recent study from the University of Newcastle reveals, based on data from the UK Biobank, featured in BMC Medicine.

The analysis covers a very large number of people, more than 60,000. However, it has one flaw: it mainly includes people over 60, of the Caucasian type. But the observation lasted a long time, almost 10 years.

More than 20% less risk

The scientists categorized the participants based on their diet, type Mediterranean. And at the same time recorded the cases of dementia (all types combined) which declared themselves in the panel over this period. At the end of the nine-year review, 882 people were living with cognitive decline.

The researchers were able to make the connection with their diet: those with dementia tended to have a less Mediterranean diet than the others. They came to the conclusion that those who had adopted this way of eating the most had a 23% lower risk of developing dementia, independent of genetic factors. Although this information requires further studies to be confirmed, it may nevertheless be of interest in guiding public health prevention policies.

Source: Mediterranean diet adherence is associated with lower dementia risk, independent of genetic predisposition: findings from the UK Biobank prospective cohort study, BMC MedicineMarch 14, 2023.