Experts from Newcastle University have found that eating a "Mediterranean-like diet" can lower your dementia risk by up to 23%.
The groundbreaking research, published on Tuesday in the BMC Medicine journal, is one of the biggest studies of its kind. The evidence shows individuals who kept a diet rich in foods like seafood, fruit and nuts, had a much reduced risk of developing the debilitating condition.
The Newcastle University team analysed data from 60,298 individuals from the UK Biobank who had contributed a "dietary assessment" giving information about what they ate. The BioBank is a vast reserve of health samples and data on thousands of people who have consented to helping with vital research.
The scientists scored individuals based on how closely their diet matched the key features of a Mediterranean one and followed those involved for almost a decade. The team took into account each individual’s genetic risk for dementia too.
The study was led by Dr Oliver Shannon, lecturer in human nutrition and ageing at the university, along with Professor Emma Stevenson and joint senior author Professor David Llewellyn.
Dr Shannon said: "Dementia impacts the lives of millions of individuals throughout the world, and there are currently limited options for treating this condition. Finding ways to reduce our risk of developing dementia is, therefore, a major priority for researchers and clinicians.
"Our study suggests that eating a more Mediterranean-like diet could be one strategy to help individuals lower their risk of dementia."
John Mathers, Professor of Human Nutrition, Newcastle University, added: "The good news from this study is that, even for those with higher genetic risk, having a better diet reduced the likelihood of developing dementia.
"Although more research is needed in this area, this strengthens the public health message that we can all help to reduce our risk of dementia by eating a more Mediterranean-like diet."
However the team - which also included experts from the universities of Edinburgh, UEA and Exeter and the NuBrain research group - did warn that further research was vital, especially as the genetic data used in the study was only available from people of European ancestry - so work needs to be done to consider a range of different populations.
Co-author Dr Janice Ranson from the University of Exeter, said: "The findings from this large population-based study underscore the long-term brain health benefits of consuming a Mediterranean diet, which is rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fats.
"The protective effect of this diet against dementia was evident regardless of a person’s genetic risk, and so this is likely to be a beneficial lifestyle choice for people looking to make healthy dietary choices and reduce their risk of dementia."
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