Alzheimer Diet Plans

Alzheimer's disease cannot be prevented, but you can reduce the risk with long-term lifestyle changes. Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of dementia, a loss of brain function that affects memory, thinking, language, judgment and behavior. About 5 percent of people between the ages of 65 and 74 have Alzheimer's disease, while almost half the people over the age of 85 have the disease, according to MayoClinic.com.

Background

Alzheimer's disease is marked by a steady decline in memory and cognitive function. Symptoms include memory loss, trouble finding the right word, problems with abstract thinking, disorientation, loss of judgment, difficulty performing familiar tasks and personality changes. Alzheimer's disease is highly heritable. Women also have a higher chance of developing the condition. While there is no cure for Alzheimer's disease, some prescription medications reduce symptoms and slow cognitive decline.

Prevention

Adherence to the Mediterranean diet is associated with lower risk of Alzheimer's disease, according to a 2006 study published by Nikolaos Scarmeas, M.D., and colleagues in the Annals of Neurology. Those who followed the diet more closely had the least risk of developing Alzheimer's disease during the time of the study.The risk is lowered even more with physical activity, according to a 2009 study by Scarmeas and colleagues in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Mortality

Adherence to the Mediterranean diet is associated with lower risk of mortality among those with Alzheimer's disease, according to a 2007 study published by Scarmeas and colleagues in Neurology. Those who followed the diet more closely had the least risk of passing away during the time of the study. The researchers pointed out that a Mediterranean diet also reduces risk of death from any cause.

Mediterranean Diet

Those bulk of the Mediterranean diet consists of fruits, vegetables, legumes and cereals. Those following the diet consume high amounts of unsaturated fatty acids, or "good" fats, mostly in the form of olive oil, and low amounts of saturated fat. They consume fish in moderation. They have a low to moderate intake of dairy products, mostly in the form of cheese and yogurt. They eat meat and poultry occasionally. They regularly drink moderate amounts of alcohol, mostly red wine during meals.

Considerations

Those who achieve the most benefit from the Mediterranean diet likely follow it long-term, Mayo Clinic neurologist David S. Knopman, M.D., told CBS News. Knopman also pointed out that in the United States, "those who least adhere to the Mediterranean diet would be eating double cheeseburgers and other fast food." He said, "The findings might mean there's something bad in this diet, rather than something good in the Mediterranean diet."