At High Risk for Dementia? This Diet Helps

A new study finds that sticking to a Mediterranean diet can slash the risk of dementia—especially in those with the highest genetic risk. Researchers tracked more than 5,700 participants over 34 years and found that those who closely followed the Mediterranean diet lowered their dementia risk, in line with other study findings, per Euronews. But participants in this category with two copies of the APOE4 gene—a well-known genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's—saw the strongest benefit, lowering their dementia risk by at least 35%, per CNN. The benefits were even greater for those who adhered most strictly to the diet, which prioritizes vegetables, fruits, nuts, whole grains, legumes, fish, and olive oil, while limiting alcohol, red meat, and processed foods.

Yuxi Liu, a research fellow in medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School and lead author of the study published Monday in Nature, highlights that people with the APOE4 gene seem to have unique metabolic responses to healthy nutrients, potentially explaining the drop in dementia risk, though further research is needed to confirm these results. Outside expert Dr. Richard Isaacson believes this potential finding challenges the idea that genetics alone determine Alzheimer's risk. He notes diet and other lifestyle changes—like exercise, stress reduction, and improved sleep—may offer powerful ways to cut risk even among those most genetically vulnerable.