The Mediterranean diet has been proven to lower risk for cardiovascular disease, heart attack and stroke. Now a new study found that men and women who eat a similar diet are less likely to develop Alzheimer's disease.
The Mediterranean diet is centered around the consumption of olive oil, fruits, vegetables, grains, and less meat products. It is believed to be high in antioxidants and low in saturated fats.
Researchers at Columbia University Medical Center studied 1,984 men and women. They wanted to determine if the food choices over the last 12 months had any bearing on their odds of being diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. They assessed each person's diet for its closeness to the Mediterranean diet.
194 of the participants had already been diagnosed with Alzheimer's. Other risk factors were taken into account to determine if any true effect diet may have on the condition.
The results were published in the Archives of Neurology.
The researchers found that the participants who consumed a diet most like the Mediterranean diet were 68 percent less likely to develop Alzheimer's and those in the middle were 53 percent less likely to develop the condition.
Because previous studies of the Mediterranean diet suggest it yields its protection via the vascular system, the researchers attempted to determine if this could also be how it protects against Alzheimer's, but did not find this to be true. They believe another mechanism is at work which this study did not determine.
At any rate, a diet similar to the Mediterranean diet may help to protect against Alzheimer's disease. The high level of antioxidants may be an important key to this relationship. More studies are needed to follow-up this new information.
Posted by Dr. Christina Gutierrez on October 15, 2006 12:35 PM
