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Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association·Graded and published ·Last edited

Sticking With Mediterranean or MIND Diets Linked to Lower Dementia Risk

Graded Strong — two prospective cohorts of 130,240 adults followed from 1980 and 1986 to 2023 with repeated diet assessment, though dementia was self-reported or taken from death records.

Design
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Participants
130,240
Duration
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Funding
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Key Insight

This study suggests long-term adherence to Mediterranean or MIND diets may be associated with lower dementia risk.


Following a Mediterranean or MIND diet long-term was linked to meaningful reductions in dementia risk in a study of over 130,000 U.S. nurses and health professionals. Those with the highest Mediterranean diet scores had 21% lower dementia risk, while top MIND diet followers had 14% lower risk. Higher adherence was also tied to 0.75 to 1.59 fewer years of cognitive aging and roughly 40% lower risk of self-reported cognitive decline. Even people who improved their diet over 4 or 8 years saw similar benefits.

Disclaimer: Research summaries are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making changes to your health routine.