Scientists from Lund University and elsewhere found diet quality may not influence dementia risk.
Dementia is a term used to describe a range of symptoms that affect memory, thinking, and social abilities severely enough to interfere with daily life.
It is a progressive condition that affects mainly older people, and there are many different types of dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia, and Lewy body dementia.
Dementia is caused by damage to brain cells, which can be due to various underlying conditions, including Alzheimer’s disease, stroke, and head injuries.
There is currently no cure for dementia, but early diagnosis and treatment can help manage the symptoms and improve the quality of life for both the person with dementia and their caregivers.
Scientists want to find ways to prevent or lower the risk of getting dementia. One way they are looking at this is through diet.
In this study, researchers looked at two types of diets: the conventional dietary recommendations and the modified Mediterranean diet.
They wanted to see if people who followed these diets had a lower risk of developing dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, or vascular dementia.
They also wanted to see if the diets were associated with a lower risk of developing beta-amyloid pathology, which is a sign of Alzheimer’s disease in the brain.
The study involved over 28,000 people living in Sweden who were born between 1923 and 1950. The researchers collected information on their diets using a food diary, questionnaire, and interview.
They then followed up with the participants over a period of 20 years to see if they developed dementia or beta-amyloid pathology.
The results showed that neither following the conventional dietary recommendations nor the modified Mediterranean diet was strongly linked to a lower risk of developing dementia or beta-amyloid pathology.
This means that there was no clear evidence that these diets can prevent or lower the risk of dementia.
The team says that it’s important to note that this study doesn’t mean that diet has no impact on dementia risk.
There are other factors that can contribute to the development of dementia, such as genetics, lifestyle, and environmental factors. More research is needed to fully understand the role of diet in dementia prevention.
The research was published in Neurology and was conducted by Isabelle Glans et al.
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