A study of more than 2000 non-demented individuals conducted in 2006 concluded that better adherence to the Mediterranean diet was associated with a lower risk for Alzheimer’s disease.

Now, the Mediterranean diet appears useful in people already diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.

During this year’s annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology in Boston, results were presented from a study of 195 community-based patients with Alzheimer’s disease who were followed for an average of 4 years.

Those who adhered to the diet (high intake of vegetables, legumes, fruits, cereals, and fish; low intake of saturated fatty acids, dairy products, meat, and poultry with a mild-to-moderate amount of alcohol) had a lower mortality rate compared with those who did not adhere to the Mediterranean diet. The positive results were confirmed when adjusted for age, sex, ethnicity, education, ApoE genotype, caloric intake, smoking, and body mass index.

The bottom line?
These findings suggest that the Mediterranean diet not only favorably affects the risk for Alzheimer’s disease, but also improves the disease course.

8/21/07 21:26 JR