A Loaf of Bread, a Jug of Wine, and a Healthy Brain

New research published in Annals of Neurology indicates that adhering to a “Mediterranean diet” significantly lowers one’s risk for Alzheimer’s disease. Over 2,000 nondemented probands were screened for Alzheimer’s every 1.5 years for an average of 4 years. They were also rated as per their adherence to the Mediterranean diet (which consists mostly of vegetables, legumes, fruits, cereals, fish, and olive oil, with moderate to low amounts of dairy, meat, and alcohol). Those who adhered closely to the Mediterranean diet were significantly less likely to develop Alzheimer’s than those who did not adhere as closely. The study controlled for a wide range of possible influences, including age, sex, education, caloric intake, smoking, comorbidities, and body mass index. http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/abstract/112593516/ABSTRACT