Diet may lower dementia risk, expert warns nearly half preventable

Studies have linked the MIND diet — rich in vegetables and fresh foods and low in processed items — with a lower risk of dementia, and Professor Catherine Mummery said about 45% of dementia could be prevented by modifying risk factors.

Dementia affects thinking, memory and daily functioning and is linked to a range of diseases including Alzheimer’s. Around 982,000 people in the UK are reported to be living with dementia, with about one in 11 people over 65 affected. Experts quoted in the article said changing risk factors — including diet, exercise and smoking status — could reduce the number of cases. The MIND diet (Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay) is highlighted for its emphasis on vegetables, fresh foods and limiting processed items. Key findings: - Dementia is described by the Alzheimer's Association as a set of symptoms affecting memory, language, problem-solving and other thinking abilities. - UK figures reported in the article state about 982,000 people living with dementia and roughly one in 11 people over 65 affected. - Professor Catherine Mummery said around 45% of dementia could be preventable if risk factors are modified, and she recommended a diet with vegetables and less processed food and sugar. - The MIND diet recommends limiting red meat, butter, cheese, sweets and fried foods because they are linked to processes associated with brain ageing. - A 2015 study in Alzheimer's & Dementia that followed more than 900 people for about four and a half years reported a 53% lower Alzheimer’s risk among those most closely following the MIND diet. - A 2023 JAMA Psychiatry review of 224,000 participants found about a 17% lower dementia risk associated with close adherence to the diet, while a 2023 New England Journal of Medicine trial found no cognitive changes after three years and noted limitations to that trial. Summary: The article reports observational and review studies that associate the MIND diet with lower rates of dementia, but it also notes mixed trial results and acknowledged limitations. The long-term effects and causal links remain under study. Undetermined at this time.