A recent study stated that the diet common in the Mediterranean region, which consists of “nuts”, grains, and vegetables, can reduce the risk of dementia, by up to a quarter. Study data, conducted by Britain's University of Exeter, suggest that adopting a diet that includes a large amount of plant foods may provide protection against dementia, regardless of the genetic risks faced by each person. Mediterranean diets include plenty of fruits, vegetables, grains, and healthy fats. Experts expect that the scope of the call to adopt a Mediterranean diet will expand during the coming period if the person is keen to avoid dementia. The Journal of the British Medical Association, which published the study data, indicated that the study was drawn from more than 60,000 people who participated in the UK Biobank, an electronic database of medical records and lifestyles for more than half a million Britons. The diet of 60,000 of these people was tracked over a decade, and only 882 of them developed dementia. And it turned out that those who adhered to the Mediterranean diet decreased their risk of dementia by 23%, compared to people who ate their food in a different way. The study's supervisor, Professor of Nutrition and Aging at the University of Newcastle, Dr. Oliver Shannon, confirmed that finding ways to reduce the risk of dementia is an advanced priority for public health. He added that dementia affects millions of people around the world. The options available to treat it are very limited. Alzheimer's Research UK's policy committee chair, Susan Mitchell, called for the research to be expanded to include Britons from Asian, African and other minority ethnic backgrounds. She stressed that there is no barrier to dementia. And she added: There is a lot of evidence that a healthy and balanced diet can help prevent the natural deterioration of brain functions. However, there is no conclusive evidence that a particular diet can achieve this. Professor David Curtis, a professor at the Institute of Genetics of the University of London, said that if a specific diet would be effective, the effect would be on the health of the heart and arteries, and thus reduce the risk of dementia in general, and not Alzheimer's disease alone.
Okaz (London) @OKAZ_online
