Vegetables, nuts, fish, good fats… The Mediterranean diet would allow its regulars to reduce the risk of developing dementia by almost a quarter, whatever their genetic risk. This is revealed by the preliminary results of a British study by the UK Biobank on more than 60,000 patients, published in the journal BMC Medicine this Tuesday.
Therefore, eating a lot of plant-based dishes would have a “protective effect” against dementia, according to the study. “This diet is likely to be a beneficial lifestyle choice for people looking to make healthy food choices and reduce the risk of dementia,” said lead researcher Dr Janice Ranson, from the University of Exeter and co-lead author of the study.
Waiting for stronger results
Preliminary analysis of data on these tens of thousands of Britons is not yet final, but reducing the risk of developing dementia remains a “high priority” for public health, according to Dr Oliver Shannon, lead author of the study.
For now, several scientists remain cautious about analyzing the study results. According to David Curtis, professor at the Institute of Genetics at the University of London, relayed by the guardianIt is not yet known whether adopting such a diet directly reduces dementia risk or is correlated with adopting a healthy lifestyle which, in turn, reduces dementia risk.
In late January, a large Chinese study found that six “healthy” behaviors were associated with slower-than-average 10-year cognitive decline. Among them, healthy eating ranked first.
According to the study, people who exhibited four to six “healthy” behaviors were 90 percent less likely to develop dementia or cognitive decline.
Source: BFM TV
