Eating a healthy diet may cut the risk of developing Alzheimer diseases (AD) by nearly 40%, say scientists.
Investigators followed 2,148 people aged 65 years or older. All subjects were free of dementia at the onset of the study. According to the report, “dietary information was prospectively evaluated with the same standardized neurological and neuropsychological measures approximately every 1.5 years.”
A total of 253 subjects developed AD during the 3.9-year analysis. A dietary pattern “characterized by higher intakes of [olive oil based salad dressing], nuts, fish, tomatoes, poultry, cruciferous vegetables, fruits and dark and green leafy vegetables and a lower intake of high-fat dairy products, red meat, organ meat, and butter” significantly reduced the risk of developing AD. Specifically, people who followed this dietary pattern the most were 38% less likely to develop AD, compared with those with the lowest adherence to this dietary pattern.
Archives of Neurology- April 10, 2010
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