A Mediterranean diet offsets the risk of dementia for genetically vulnerable adults, a new study has found.
Dementia, which is the loss of cognitive functioning, affects more than six million Americans and leads to more than 100,000 deaths each year, according to the National Institutes of Health. As the U.S. population ages, dementia cases are expected to double by 2060, the NIH says.
A study published in the journal Nature on Monday found a Mediterranean diet with plant-based foods and healthy fats lowered the risk of dementia by at least 35 percent in people with two copies of the APOE4 gene.
The APOE4 gene is a major risk factor for Alzheimer’s, the most common disease that causes dementia.
“We followed over 5,700 people for 34 years and found those who followed a baseline Mediterranean diet with little alcohol, red and processed meat but full of vegetables, fruits, nuts, whole grains, legumes, fish and olive oil all reduced the risk of dementia,” Yuxi Liu, lead author of the study, told CNN.
She added: “But the benefit was highest for people with the APOE4 gene, especially those with two copies of APOE4.”
The Mediterranean diet is known for its health benefits. The Cleveland Clinic, a non-profit academic medical center, says the diet can lower your risk of many chronic conditions, such as cardiovascular disease.
The Cleveland Clinic lists several health benefits of the Mediterranean diet, including slowing the decline of brain function as you get older. The medical center said the healthy unsaturated fats, such as omega-3 fatty acids, found in the diet support brain health.
Liu said the more people with two APOE4 genes stick to the Mediterranean diet, the better.
“Not only did following a baseline Mediterranean diet reduce the probability of developing dementia by 35% in people with two APOE4 genes, but higher adherence to the diet further reduced their risk,” she said.
