While certain risk factors for dementia like age and genes are non-negotiable, research suggests there are ways to modify your risk. A healthy lifestyle is the foundation of good health, with diet being a core pillar. Now, new research suggests that certain foods paired together could cut your risk of Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia.
Eating your way to a lower dementia risk might seem too good to be true but a healthy diet is in fact one of the greatest weapons that you can add to your arsenal of protection.
A new study, published in the journal BMC Medicine, also echoes this claim.
The research team found that a Mediterranean diet could slash your risk of dementia by almost a quarter.
Built on superfoods like fruit, vegetables, nuts and seafood, this type of diet is packed with nutrients that help boost blood flow to the brain.
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The participants that ate the most of these foods were 23 percent less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia.
As the name gives away, the diet combines the authentic lifestyles of people who live by the Mediterranean Sea.
Depending on the exact country, the diet varies slightly over the regions but is generally rich in vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, beans, cereals, grains, fish and olive oil.
Dr Oliver Shannon, a corresponding author of the study, said: “These [study] results underline the importance of dietary interventions in future prevention strategies – regardless of genetic predisposition.”
The findings suggested that fish and leafy greens were particularly abundant in antioxidants that protect neurons against rogue proteins.
Dr Shannon said: “Diet is an important modifiable risk factor for dementia that could be targeted for disease prevention and risk reduction.”
Dr Shannon said: “Higher adherence was associated with lower dementia risk, independent of genetic risk, underlining the importance of diet in dementia prevention interventions.”
While the study shows some promising results, the research was limited to individuals who self-reported their ethnic background as white, British or Irish as genetic data was only available based on European ancestry.
The scientists added that further research focusing on a range of populations is currently needed to determine the potential benefits.
Professor David Curtis, a geneticist at University College London who was not involved in the research, said: “This observational study finds UK Biobank participants who adhere more closely to a ‘Mediterranean’ diet tend to have a moderately lower risk of developing dementia.
“However, it is not clear that this does not reflect the fact that they may have a generally more healthy lifestyle. Thus, it is not clear that such a diet itself reduces dementia risk, although it is plausible that it might do so.
“In my opinion, if there is an effect of diet then it is more likely to be on cardiovascular health in general and hence to impact dementia due to vascular disease rather than Alzheimer’s disease.”
While this is just one body of research, there is a wealth of evidence that echoes that eating a healthy diet could help reduce your risk of the brain condition.
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