Which diet (and exact foods) are great for preventing dementia: study

Key Points:

• A 15-year Swedish study of nearly 2,000 adults over 60 found that an anti-inflammatory diet significantly reduced dementia risk among those predisposed to Alzheimer’s, outperforming other healthy diets like the Mediterranean and AHEI diets.
• The study highlights the importance of foods that reduce inflammation—such as antioxidant-rich berries, dark leafy greens, omega-3 rich salmon and walnuts, whole grains, legumes, and healthy fats like olive oil and avocados—in preventing cognitive decline.
• Registered dietitian Emily Case emphasizes that while diets like DASH and Mediterranean can delay cognitive decline, they cannot reverse it, making early dietary and lifestyle changes crucial, especially for individuals with a family history of Alzheimer’s.
• Chronic inflammation and oxidative stress accelerate aging and diseases like Alzheimer’s, so managing inflammation through diet and lifestyle—such as reducing red meat and saturated fats and prioritizing sleep—is key to slowing disease progression.
• With dementia affecting one in ten older adults in the U.S. and new cases expected to double by 2060, adopting anti-inflammatory dietary habits could be a vital public health strategy to mitigate future cognitive decline.