Mediterranean diet could lower risk of vascular dementia

PanARMENIAN.Net - Vascular dementia risk could be reduced by making changes to your diet or exercise plan. Sticking to a Mediterranean diet could prevent the brain condition, scientists have claimed, according to th Express.

Vascular dementia is a type of dementia caused by a reduced flow of blood to the brain.

It’s one of the most common types of dementia in the UK, with about 150,000 cases in the country.

The condition tends to get worse over time, and symptoms include difficulty concentrating, mood changes, and slowness of thought.

A Mediterranean diet could protect against vascular dementia, according to Italian and US scientists.

“The Mediterranean diet pattern, based on complex carbohydrates, fibre and non-animal fat, appears to protect against age-related cognitive decline and cognitive decline of vascular or degenerative origin,” they reported.

The Alzheimer’s Society added: “There is some evidence that eating a Mediterranean-style diet can reduce the risk of developing problems with memory and thinking, and getting some forms of dementia.

“Investigations have shown that this kind of diet is associated with lower levels of stroke, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and death from any cause.

“They have also shown that sticking to the diet more strictly might be associated with slower rates of decline in memory and thinking.”

A Mediterranean diet incorporates lots of fruits, vegetables, legumes and cereals.

It also includes oily fish and dairy, while being low in meat, sugar and saturated fats, the charity said.

Olive oil provides most of the fat in the diet.

High levels of antioxidants from the fruit and vegetables may help to protect against brain cell damage, which in turn is linked to Alzheimer’s disease.

It could also increase the amount of protein in the brain, a substance believed to protect the cells from damage.