The Food Wars are discussed at the KAHN CENTER with patients and they are educated on scientific studies and overall patterns of research on diet. When one paper pops up, like a recent one suggesting more meat was associated with a lower risk of progressive dementia risk, the scientific method suggests that the entire library of research studies needs to be considered before that one contrarian study is considered of importance.
Plant-based diets are taught at the KAHN CENTER to prevent, halt, and reverse heart conditions like atherosclerosis and hypertension. Plant-based diets have been linked to slower cognitive decline, but data on long-term dietary changes and from diverse populations are limited.
New data suggests high-quality plant-based diets reduce the risk of Alzheimer disease and related dementias (ADRDs).
STUDY
This prospective longitudinal analysis of the Multiethnic Cohort Study, based in Hawaii and California (primarily Los Angeles County), included data on African American, Japanese American, Latino, Native Hawaiian, and White participants who completed food frequency questionnaires at baseline (1993–1996; age 45–75 years) and at 10-year follow-up (2003–2008) and whose Medicare claims were linked to identify incident ADRDs. A priori indices for the overall plant-based diet index (PDI), the healthful plant-based diet index (hPDI), and the unhealthful plant-based diet index (uPDI) were analyzed.
RESULTS
The analysis included 92,849 participants (mean age 59 years, 55% female, 21,478 with ADRDs) for the baseline diet and 45,065 participants (8,360 with ADRDs) for the 10-year dietary change.
For the baseline diet, comparing the highest vs lowest quintile, PDI and hPDI were associated with 12% (hazard ratio and 7% lower risks of ADRD, respectively, whereas uPDI was related to a 6% higher risk.
The associations between the plant-based diet indices and ADRD were generally similar by age group (<60 vs ≥60 years at baseline), race and ethnicity, or APOE ℇ4 carrier status.
DISCUSSION
These findings suggest that adopting plant-based diets, specifically refraining from low-quality plant-based diets, even at an older age, is associated with a lower risk of ADRDs. Eating high-quality plant foods like vegetables, whole grains, fruits, nuts and legumes was associated with a reduced risk.
The study indicates that high-quality plant foods, including these seven healthy groups identified in the study, are the core of a brain protection diet:
- Vegetables
- Fruits
- Whole grains
- Legumes
- Nuts
- Vegetable oils
- Coffee and tea
Meanwhile, it's just as important to reduce unhealthy plant foods, the research suggests. The study defined those foods as refined grains, fruit juices, added sugars and potatoes (frequently eaten as part of fast food meals).
It is good to know that while you may have adopted a high-quality plant-based diet for heart disease, diabetes, weight and blood pressure support, the brain is enjoying a lower risk of ADRD's too.
