Mediterranean Diet Linked With Decreased Risk Of Dementia, New Study Shows
A new study shows that a diet rich in seafood, fruit, vegetables, and nuts, such as that of the Mediterranean diet, could help reduce the risk of developing dementia.
Although, there is no proven way to decrease the risk of developing this condition, the study shows that participants who stuck mostly to a traditional Mediterranean diet – rich in seafood and plant-based foods – had a 23% lower risk of developing the condition.
The research involved the the participation of 60,298 individuals from the UK Biobank, as they were tracked for nine years.
”This new, large study adds to this overall picture, but it only drew on data from people with White, British or Irish ancestry. More research is needed to build on its intriguing findings, and uncover whether these reported benefits also translate to minority communities, where historically dementia has often been misunderstood and highly stigmatised, and where awareness of how people can reduce their risk is low,” Dr Susan Mitchell, Head of Policy at Alzheimer’s Research UK, commented on the study.
What’s in a Mediterranean diet?
The Mediterranean diet is based on traditional food consumed in countries bordering the Mediterranean sea, such as France, Italy, and Greece – and even Malta!
Although there are no strict rules for the diet, typical food dishes include a lot of fruit, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, legumes, seeds, and seafood.
Traditional foods/meals that originate from these countries are rarely processed, and don’t usually include added sugars.
Exactly which foods belong to this diet is controversial, for it varies from country to country, however, the amount of vegetables, fruits, and seafood consumed, is common to all.
At first glance, you might think that the Maltese don’t follow this diet because of the few traditional dishes that include a lot of meat, however, if you dig a little deeper, you’ll find out that a lot of our meals and dishes are more plant-based/seafood-based than you’d think.
Ħobż biż-Żejt, Bigilla, Torta tal-Lampuki, Stuffat tal-Qarnita, Soppa tal-Armla, Aljotta, Minestra, Spinach and Tuna Pie… I can go on and on.
That said, our modern way of living may have changed things a little bit, with Malta often being found to be the most obese nation in the EU…
Do you follow a Mediterranean diet regularly?
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