Mediterranean Diet Lowers Alzheimer's Risk

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Main Category: Alzheimer's / Dementia
Also Included In: Nutrition / Diet;  Seniors / Aging;  Neurology / Neuroscience
Article Date: 10 Oct 2006 - 9:00 PDT

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If you follow a Mediterranean diet your chances of developing Alzheimer's disease could be 68% lower than people who don't, say researchers from Columbia University Medical Center, New York.

You can read about this study in the journal Archives of Neurology, October issue.

The researchers say that it is either the Mediterranean diet's protection from oxidative stress and/or the reduction it brings about in brain inflammation that protects, rather than any benefits on blood vessels.

The researchers looked at information on 2,000 people, of which 194 had Alzheimer's disease - their average age was 76 years. Depending on how close each person's diet had been to a Mediterranean one, they were given a score, from 0 to 9 (9 being closest).

The scientists found that the people who scored 7-9 had a 68% lower risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, when compared to the people who scored 0-3. Those scoring 4-6 had a 53% lower risk, compared to those scoring 0-3.

Lead researcher, Dr. Nikolaos Scarmeas, said "It seems that this diet is protective. Taking into account that this diet is protective for other conditions such as coronary heart disease, heart attack, high blood pressure, obesity and a series of cancers, it seems to make sense to follow this diet anyway, and the diet may also protect from Alzheimer's disease."

What is a Mediterranean Diet?

-- Olive oil is a major source of monounsaturated fat
-- Consumption of plenty of fruits, vegetables, bread, cereals, potatoes, beans, seeds and nuts
-- Consumption of moderate to low amounts of dairy products, fish, poultry
-- Consumption of small amounts of red meat
-- Consumption of small amounts of saturated fat
-- Consumption of low to moderate amounts of wine

"Mediterranean Diet, Alzheimer Disease, and Vascular Mediation"
Nikolaos Scarmeas, MD; Yaakov Stern, PhD; Richard Mayeux, MD; Jose A. Luchsinger, MD
Arch Neurol. 2006;63
doi:10.1001/archneur.63.12.noc60109
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Written by: Christian Nordqvist
Editor: Medical News Today
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