(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Elderly people who ate lots of fruits, vegetables, legumes, cereal and fish and generally avoided red meat and poultry and who were physically active had a lower risk of Alzheimer disease, according to a new study. In a second study, adherence to a Mediterranean diet was associated with slower cognitive decline, but was not associated with a decreased risk of dementia.
Nikolaos Scarmeas, M.D., of Columbia University Medical Center,
New York, and colleagues examined the combined association of
physical activity and dietary habits on the risk of Alzheimer
disease (AD) or dementia. The study included two groups consisting
of 1,880 elderly residents of New York City who did not have
dementia at the start of the study. Diet and physical activity
information was available for all participants. Standardized
neurological and neuropsychological measures were administered
approximately every 1.5 years from 1992 through 2006.
The participants were measured for their adherence to a
Mediterranean-type diet and their physical activity. Higher diet
scores were awarded for greater consumption of fruits, vegetables,
legumes, cereals, and fish, lower consumption of meat and dairy
products, and a higher ratio of monounsaturated fats to saturated
fats and mild to moderate alcohol consumption.
During the average follow up period of 5.4 years, 282 developed AD. The researchers found that more physical activity was associated with lower risk for AD. "Compared with physically inactive individuals, report of some physical activity was associated with a 29 to 41 percent lower risk of developing AD, while report of much physical activity was associated with a 37 to 50 percent lower risk," the authors wrote.
When considered simultaneously, both physical activity and Mediterranean diet adherence were significantly associated with AD incidence. "Belonging to the middle diet adherence tertile was associated with a 2 percent to 14 percent risk reduction," Researchers were quoted as saying, "while belonging to the highest diet adherence tertile was associated with a 32 percent to 40 percent reduced risk. Similarly, compared with individuals with no physical activity, individuals reporting some physical activity had a 25 percent to 38 percent lower risk for AD, while individuals reporting much physical activity had a 33 percent to 48 percent lower risk for AD."
