tim
2010-02-09 15:24:23 UTC
Mediterranean diet can lower risk of Alzheimer's
Eating a Mediterranean diet similar to Italians or Greeks could lower the
risk of developing memory loss and Alzheimer's disease, according to new
research.
Published: 7:30AM GMT 09 Feb 2010
Mediterranean diet can lower risk of Alzheimer's
Researchers have found that the diet that includes a high intake of
vegetables, fruits, cereals and fish kept the part of the brain that
controls memory and thinking fit and firing.
People who ate a large amount of dairy products, meat and chicken and had a
moderate intake of alcohol - much like the average Briton's diet - were
causing themselves brain damage, the study found.
Those with a poor diet gave themselves small areas of dead tissue in the
brain which then causes memory loss and leads to Alzheimer's disease.
Researchers from the Columbia University medical centre in New York looked
at candidates diets and divided them into three groups, depending on how
strict they were about sticking to the Mediterranean diet.
Dr Nikolaos Scarmeas, who led the study, said the researchers tested the
diets and brain function of 712 people.
"We divided them into three groups based on how closely they were following
the Mediterranean diet," he said.
"Then we conducted MRI brain scans of the people an average of six years
later. A total of 238 people had at least one area of brain damage."
Dr Scarmeas said: "Those who were most closely following a
Mediterranean-like diet were 36 per cent less likely to have areas of brain
damage than those who were least following the diet.
"Those moderately following the diet were 21 per cent less likely to have
brain damage than the lowest group."
Dr Scarmeas said the findings were a wake up call for people with a poor
diet.
"The relationship between this type of brain damage and the Mediterranean
diet was comparable with that of high blood pressure," he said.
"In this study, not eating a Mediterranean-like diet had about the same
effect on the brain as having high blood pressure."
Dr Scameas said: "A Mediterranean-like diet may be associated with a lower
risk of Alzheimer's disease and may lengthen survival in people with
Alzheimer's disease."
Eating a Mediterranean diet similar to Italians or Greeks could lower the
risk of developing memory loss and Alzheimer's disease, according to new
research.
Published: 7:30AM GMT 09 Feb 2010
Mediterranean diet can lower risk of Alzheimer's
Researchers have found that the diet that includes a high intake of
vegetables, fruits, cereals and fish kept the part of the brain that
controls memory and thinking fit and firing.
People who ate a large amount of dairy products, meat and chicken and had a
moderate intake of alcohol - much like the average Briton's diet - were
causing themselves brain damage, the study found.
Those with a poor diet gave themselves small areas of dead tissue in the
brain which then causes memory loss and leads to Alzheimer's disease.
Researchers from the Columbia University medical centre in New York looked
at candidates diets and divided them into three groups, depending on how
strict they were about sticking to the Mediterranean diet.
Dr Nikolaos Scarmeas, who led the study, said the researchers tested the
diets and brain function of 712 people.
"We divided them into three groups based on how closely they were following
the Mediterranean diet," he said.
"Then we conducted MRI brain scans of the people an average of six years
later. A total of 238 people had at least one area of brain damage."
Dr Scarmeas said: "Those who were most closely following a
Mediterranean-like diet were 36 per cent less likely to have areas of brain
damage than those who were least following the diet.
"Those moderately following the diet were 21 per cent less likely to have
brain damage than the lowest group."
Dr Scarmeas said the findings were a wake up call for people with a poor
diet.
"The relationship between this type of brain damage and the Mediterranean
diet was comparable with that of high blood pressure," he said.
"In this study, not eating a Mediterranean-like diet had about the same
effect on the brain as having high blood pressure."
Dr Scameas said: "A Mediterranean-like diet may be associated with a lower
risk of Alzheimer's disease and may lengthen survival in people with
Alzheimer's disease."