TDNet Discover

Background: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia, and the number of people affected continues to increase. In AD, senile plaques and neurofibrillary tangles develop in the brain. The Mediterranean Diet (MeDi) displays properties that could potentially help slow progression or prevent the development of the disease. Objective: A systematic review of studies was completed to determine if the MeDi affects AD. Methods: A systematic study was conducted from November 2017 to April 2018. Search terms were "Alzheimer's Disease" and "Mediterranean Diet." Inclusion criteria were participants >40 years old, studies lasting longer than one year, and studies of at least 50 participants. Exclusion criteria were meatless MeDi and participants with genetic predisposition to AD. Results: Singh et al. (2014) had 8,019 participants. High adherence to MeDi showed reduced risk of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) (p=0.02). There was an 8% decrease in risk per 1 point increase in MeDi score (p=0.03). The middle adherence group had decreased risk of developing AD by 13% (p=0.31), and the high adherence group had a 36% decreased risk (p=0.007). In Gardener et al. (2012), a MeDi had a 13-19% decrease in MCI and 19-26% decrease in AD. In Morris et al. (2015), the study showed a 53% reduction in AD in the highest MeDi tertile and a 35% reduction in the middle tertile.