Eating habits have an impact on our health and cognitive function, thus it is recommended to eat foods that are extremely beneficial to the brain and slow down the ageing process as much as possible.
Although numerous studies have frequently suggested that a Mediterranean diet lowers the incidence of dementia, scientists now think that may not be the case.
Dementia and diet: An explanation of the connection
The participating experts in a study led by researchers from Lund University in Sweden and published in the journal Neurology responded to questionnaires and corresponding questions regarding their eating habits and whether or not they adhered to the Mediterranean diet. The study included 28025 participants with an average age of 58 years. At first, none of them displayed dementia.
20 years had passed, and six years remained.
When the researchers examined diets to diagnoses with sex, age, and education in mind, they could not detect a link between the Mediterranean diet and the risk of dementia. Dementia was diagnosed in 9% of the patients and included Alzheimer’s and vascular dementia.
It may be challenging to recall what one has eaten in the past, especially given the size of the class, but one is likely to remember healthy foods other than fast food, according to experts, who said that the study’s strength is that it forced participants to recall what they ate rather than trying to do so.
shocking outcomes
Experts also noted that, contrary to popular assumption, the lack of any connection between the Mediterranean diet and dementia was not shocking.
This is because most diets, as they said, provide the basic nutrients needed for the metabolism of the brain, and this means relying on a complete diet rich in complex carbohydrates, proteins, healthy fats, fibers, fruits and vegetables and refraining from treated fast foods.
The Mediterranean Diet is closely linked to the reduced risk of obesity, heart disease, metabolic syndrome, and diabetes, according to experts, therefore it’s crucial to remember its other advantages as well.
Additionally, experts found that while diet may not be directly related to dementia risk, it is related to better management or decreased chances for chronic and acute cases that may worsen cognitive function.
Study: The low incidence of dementia is not associated with a Mediterranean diet
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