Does the Mediterranean diet really reduce the risk of dementia?

Many previous studies have shown that a healthy diet may reduce a person's risk of dementia, but a new study found that two diets, including the Mediterranean diet, do not reduce the risk of
dementia.
The findings were published Oct.
12 in
the online edition of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

The Mediterranean diet is a diet highly regarded by modern nutrition, consisting of a high intake of vegetables, legumes, fruits, fish and healthy fats such as olive oil, and moderate intake of dairy products, meat and saturated fatty acids
.

Isabelle Glans, MD, of Lund University in Sweden, said: "Previous studies on the effect of diet on dementia risk have been inconsistent
.
While our study did not rule out a possible link between diet and dementia, we did not find an association
between the two.
We followed up for many years, the participants were younger than some of the other studies, and people were not asked to remember the foods
they regularly ate years ago.
”

For the study, researchers analyzed 28,000 Swedes
.
The average age of the participants was 58, 61 percent were female, and they did not have dementia at the start of
the study.
Follow-up lasted up to 20 years
.
During the study, participants filled out a seven-day diet diary and a detailed diet frequency questionnaire and participated in an interview
.

At the end of the study, 1943 people (6.
9%) had been diagnosed with dementia, including Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia
.

The researchers investigated whether the participants' diets were consistent with
traditional dietary recommendations or the Mediterranean diet.
After adjusting for age, sex and education, they did not find an association
between a traditional diet or a Mediterranean diet and a reduced risk of dementia.

"In this 20-year follow-up study, neither adherence to traditional dietary recommendations nor a modified Mediterranean diet was significantly associated with a reduced risk of subsequent development of all-cause dementia," they note
.
Glans noted that further research is needed to confirm these results
.

Nils Peters, MD
, of the University of Basel in Switzerland, wrote an editorial for the study.
"Diet itself may not have a strong enough effect on memory and thinking, but it is likely to be one of
many factors that affect cognitive function," he believes.
Dietary strategies and other measures to control risk factors may still be necessary
.
”

One limitation of the study is that participants may lie about their diet and lifestyle habits
.

The research was funded
by the Swedish Research Council, the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation, the Marianne and Marcus Wallenberg Foundation, Lund University, the Alzheimer's Foundation Sweden, the Swedish Brain Foundation and others.

Original text search

Association Between Dietary Habits in Midlife With Dementia Incidence Over a 20-Year Period