Cut Your Risk of Alzheimer’s – Eat Right
Tue, May 2, 2006 at 05:06AM The Annals of Neurology carries a report of the success of the Mediterranean diet in reducing the risk for Alzheimer’s disease. This is not exactly fresh news, but the study described is what scientists call ‘robust’, and therefore convincing. Convincing enough to persuade a lot of people to eat better, we hope.
Over 2250 New Yorkers were followed for 4 years, with check-ups every 18 months. At each check-up they completed lengthy food questionnaires and a battery of neuropsychological tests. Their food intake was classified as to its Mediterranean diet composition using a 0 to 9 scoring system.
The Mediterranean diet means a high intake of vegetables, legumes, fruits, cereals; high unsaturated fatty acids (mostly olive oil), and low saturated fatty acids; moderately high fish; low to moderate dairy (cheese or yogurt); low meat or poultry; and regular but moderate alcohol (e.g. wine with meals).
Over 250 participants developed Alzheimer’s during the study. But those following a Mediterranean-type diet most closely had a lower risk of getting Alzheimer’s. For each additional unit of the Mediterranean diet score (0 to 9) there was a 10% reduction in Alzheimer’s risk.
If that isn’t enough to persuade you to eat better, at least follow the ‘wine with meals’ criterion; it will make you a much happier patient.
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