Mediterranean diet 'cuts risk of Alzheimer's'

The risk of Alzheimer's disease can be cut by up to 40 per cent by following the Mediterranean diet which for years has been hailed by nutritionists as the ideal way of eating, according to a new study.

For years, the diet has been associated with a lower risk of cancer, heart disease and premature death.

The study, published in the Annals of Neurology, found a link between following a Mediterranean diet and a lower risk of developing Alzheimer's, the disease which results in a loss of mental functions due to the deterioration of brain tissue.

Researchers from the Columbia University Medical Centre looked at the health and the diet of 2,258 New Yorkers over a four-year period. None of the participants had dementia when they enrolled, but 262 people were diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease during the course of the study.

The study found that those who adhered most closely to the diet had their risk lowered by 39 to 40 per cent. People who partially followed the diet had their risk of suffering from Alzheimer's cut by 15 to 20 per cent.

The Mediterranean diet includes plenty of fruit and vegetables, cereals as the foundation of every meal, plenty of beans and lentils, small amounts of red meat and limited fats, with olive oil used as the main fat. It is estimated that as many as 4,000 Maltese people suffer from dementia. Although there are more than 100 different types of dementia, Alzheimer's is the most common, affecting around 60 per cent of dementia sufferers.

When contacted, Malta Dementia Society general secretary Charles Scerri said the importance of nutrition for the brain has long been known.

The Mediterranean diet is especially beneficial because of the amount of antioxidants present in the food consumed. Dr Scerri said one of the factors that aggravates Alzheimer's is the presence of oxidants in the brain which damage the cells.

Maria Ellul, the Health Promotion Department's principal scientific officer for nutrition, reiterated that the Mediterranean diet is rich in antioxidants. The diet is low in saturated fats, high in dietary fibre and in vitamins. The department has long been promoting the Mediterranean diet.

Although following a healthy diet might act as a protective shield against Alzheimer's, this is not a cure, Dr Scerri stressed. He pointed out that the risk of developing the disease increases with age, rising to between 40 and 47 per cent in over 85-year-olds.

Because the brain is a muscle, the more it is used the stronger it becomes.

Dr Scerri stressed the importance of taking care of the brain in the same way as one takes care of the body. He said exercising not only helps toward a more fit body, but also benefits the brain. Ms Ellul said a healthy diet is always beneficial, irrespective of the age a person starts it. However, she said, healthy choices were not always the easy choices since the good ingredients were not the cheapest.