Researchers at the University of Exeter looked at the medical and lifestyle data of 60,000 Britons from the Biobank, an online database containing more than half a million Britons. They compared the number of cases of dementia in the group that follows a strict Mediterranean diet with the group that does not. The scientists took into account people who are hereditary.
23 percent stock
In the total group, 882 cases of dementia were diagnosed in almost ten years, but the risk was 23 percent lower in the group that follows the Mediterranean diet than in the group that eats otherwise. According to the researchers, it therefore seems that eating a lot of vegetables, fruit, nuts, grains, fish and olive oil can have a ‘protective effect’ against dementia, even when someone is genetically predisposed.
Mediterranean cuisine
What is Mediterranean Food? This is the cuisine of dozens of countries around the Mediterranean Sea, such as Italy, Spain, Morocco, Greece, Tunisia, Albania and part of the south of France. Although the dishes are often very different, they have one thing in common: the products are local and fresh.
- Lots of fresh fruit and vegetables
- Whole-wheat products
- Legumes
- Nuts and seeds
- Fish and seafood
- Few animal products
- Much variation
- No processed food
Vascular dementia
The results of the British study come as no surprise to Jaap Seidell, professor of Nutrition at VU University Amsterdam. “It is certainly not the first study that has been done on this, research has been done for decades,” he says. “In a large Spanish study, for example, half of the participants were put on a Mediterranean diet and the other half were not. The group that followed the diet lived longer, suffered less from obesity, cardiovascular disease and dementia.”
According to the professor, it is logical that people who eat Mediterranean food suffer less often from dementia. “When we think of dementia, we often think of Alzheimer’s disease, but a large proportion of people have vascular dementia and that can be linked to vascular disease. Not only does the blood flow in the body deteriorate, this also happens in the brain.”
According to critics, the British study is not sufficiently clear how great the influence of the Mediterranean diet is, because the group that follows such a diet often has a healthier lifestyle. “The researchers have tried to correct for these differences, but it is true that these people often lead healthier lives,” explains Seidell. “Especially in England, healthy food is not cheap. Britons who eat Mediterranean food are more often highly educated and more physically active.”
More active and less stress
Nutrition is therefore part of a healthy lifestyle, says the professor. “You also see that in the Mediterranean Sea. People are more physically active, go to bed on time, have less stress and many social contacts. Yet you see in studies, such as the Spanish study, that a Mediterranean diet also makes a difference if people have the same education, background and lifestyle.”
Seidell emphasizes that, even with the current inflation, Mediterranean food is not only for people with a large budget. “You don’t just have to buy fresh fruit and vegetables. Vegetables from the freezer, a can or a jar are also healthy. In terms of carbohydrates, choose a whole-grain variant and buy cheaper fish,” he says.
“And nuts may be expensive, but you don’t have to eat more than a handful of them a day. Actually, it’s also about what you don’t eat and drink: no sugary drinks, little to no animal products and as little processed food as possible. ” And that glass of wine with dinner, is that beneficial? “Of course you don’t drink alcohol for your health. Just like the Italians, stick to one glass with a meal.”