Healthy Eating Could Help Reduce Risk of Dementia – Mental Daily

New research has shown that establishing healthy eating habits may be beneficial in preventing the development of dementia.

In this study, researchers targeted more than 2,600 participants aged 25 to 45 who had followed a Mediterranean diet. Participants received questionnaires three times to badess their average dietary intake.

"The authors examined the diet with the aid of a validated questionnaire administered in 3 steps to evaluate adherence to a Mediterranean-type diet (MedDiet), dietary approaches. to stop hypertension (DASH) and quality score A Priori Diet (APDQS), "according to the study.

"The population studied was the large CARDIA (CARDIA) study on the development of coronary artery risk in 2,261 men and women of middle age aged 25 to 45 at the time of the first food badessment. Associations with cognitive performance between 50 and 55 years and the evolution of cognitive function between 50 and 55 years were examined. "

Based on the results, the researchers were able to determine that the MedDiet and APDQS diets had better benefits for their cognitive health, compared to the DASH diet. Among the components of each diet, monounsaturated fatty acids, legumes and micronutrients were found to be the most useful in promoting cognitive health.

"One of the notable strengths of the study is the repeated administration of the dietary questionnaires within the person over three times, which makes it possible to calculate the average of the food intake ratios of each participant and to improve the accuracy of the subjective ratio of intake "The study reads.

"The limitations of the study, besides its observational nature, which raises questions about causation, are the relatively short duration of follow-up between cognitive badessments and the absence of objective biochemical measures." of the diet to corroborate the results and discover potential mechanisms of action. . "

The results were published in Neurology.