Eating fruits, seafood may help reduce dementia risk —Study 

Sodiq Ojuroungbe 

A new study has suggested that eating a traditional Mediterranean diet-rich items like fruit, nuts, and seafood can help reduce the risk of dementia by almost a quarter. 

The study also found that people who followed a diet similar to the Mediterranean had up to 23 per cent lower risk of dementia than those who did not.

The study stated that a Mediterranean diet with a high intake of nutritious plant-based foods may be a significant intervention to include in future plans to lower the incidence of dementia in light of their results.

According to the World Health Organisation, dementia is a syndrome that can be caused by a number of diseases. 

The WHO explained that dementia gradually damages the brain and kills nerve cells over time, resulting in a decline in cognitive ability that goes beyond what is generally seen as a result of biological ageing.

The global health body noted that dementia affects each person differently, depending upon the underlying causes, other health conditions, and the person’s cognitive functioning before becoming ill.

The study, published in BMC Medicine was led by a lecturer in Human Nutrition and Ageing, at Newcastle University, Dr. Oliver Shannon, in partnership with Professor Emma Stevenson and Professor David Llewellyn.

The researchers also involved experts from the universities of Edinburgh, UEA, and Exeter, while the study was part of the Medical Research Council-funded NuBrain consortium.

The study analysed data from 60,298 individuals from the UK Biobank, a large cohort including individuals from across the UK, who had completed a dietary assessment.

During the research, the authors scored individuals based on how closely their diet matched the key features of a Mediterranean one. The participants were reportedly followed for almost a decade, during which time there were 882 cases of dementia.

The authors considered each individual’s genetic risk for dementia by estimating what is known as their polygenic risk. 

It was also discovered that the research that there was no discernible interaction between the relationships between Mediterranean diet adherence and the polygenic risk for dementia.

The researchers suggested that a better diet could lower the probability of getting dementia even in people with a higher hereditary risk.

Dr. Shannon told ScienceDaily that “Dementia impacts the lives of millions of individuals throughout the world, and there are currently limited options for treating this condition.

“Finding ways to reduce our risk of developing dementia is, therefore, a major priority for researchers and clinicians.

“Our study suggests that eating a more Mediterranean-like diet could be one strategy to help individuals lower their risk of dementia.” 

A Professor of Human Nutrition, Newcastle University, John Mathers stressed that there is a need for further study in a range of populations to determine the potential benefit.

He said, “The good news from this study is that, even for those with higher genetic risk, having a better diet reduced the likelihood of developing dementia.

“Although more research is needed in this area, this strengthens the public health message that we can all help to reduce our risk of dementia by eating a more Mediterranean-like diet.”