Mediterranean diet proven to reduce risk of dementia
Alzheimer’s disease, the causes of which are unknown, affects 417,000 people across the UK. Although no known cure exists, the Mediterranean diet has been hailed as helping to stave off the condition.
The Med diet, high in fruit, vegetables, legumes, grains and moderate amounts of white meat, red wine and fish has been proven over the years to reduce the risks of developing heart disease, cancer and chronic conditions such as hypertension and Type 2 diabetes. The diet also has been proven in both the UK and US to reduce the risk of death by 20% at any age, thus has been linked with increased longevity, due mainly to a reduced risk of cardiovascular diseases and cancer. It has been hailed too as a successful weight reduction strategy.
Now the diet has been proven to have a positive preventative effect as regards the development of cognitive impairment diseases such as Alzheimer's. According to a study published in the Archives of Neurology Journal, scientists found that of the 1393 volunteers, 989 who had not been diagnosed with problems of recall, an earlier indicator of Alzheimers, were less likely to develop dementia if they followed a diet high in fish, oil and vegetables. These were also less likely to suffer memory problems over the five years of the study. Scoring patients according to their adherence to the ascribed Mediterranean diet, scientists discovered that those following the regimen strictly cut their chances of developing mild cognitive impairment by 28%. The research supports the claims of past studies that the Mediterranean diet can reduce the risk of developing dementia by 40%.
"Among behavioural traits, diet may play an important role in the cause and prevention of Alzheimer's disease," commented the study author, Dr Nikolaos Scarmeas and his team, from Columbia University, New York. The success of the Mediterranean diet lies in its ability to improve cholesterol levels, blood sugar levels, and inflammation in the body; all risk factors where the disease is concerned. Rebecca Wood, chief executive of the Alzheimer's Research Trust, stressed that: "Diet almost certainly plays a part in every person's Alzheimer's risk – and diet remains a magnet for research because it could offer a relatively inexpensive way to fight a disease that ruins countless lives.” She added that "by reducing salt and saturated fat intake and adding oily fish and lots of fruit and vegetables to our shopping baskets, we can help reduce the risk of developing dementia as well as reaping the countless other benefits of living a healthy lifestyle."
The ‘ideal’ Mediterranean Diet
* In terms of potential health benefits and in relation to a typical Western diet:
- High quantities of a variety of vegetables, fruit, legumes, and cereals
- Moderate quantities of fish, white meats, nuts, low fat dairy produce and wine
- Low quantities of red meat, eggs, sweets and sweet desserts.
- A high ratio of mono-unsaturated fat (eg olive oil) to saturated animal fat (eg fatty red meat): at least 2:1
- Low amounts of added salt
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