According to a new study, following a Mediterranean diet reduces the risk of dementia by at least 35% in people with two copies of the APOE4 gene, which is a major risk factor for Alzheimer's disease.

"We followed more than 5,700 people for 34 years and found that those who followed a basic Mediterranean diet low in alcohol, red and processed meat, but high in vegetables, fruits, nuts, whole grains, legumes, fish, and olive oil, all had a reduced risk of dementia," said Yuxi Liu, lead author of the study at Brigham and Women's Hospital Mass General Medical Center, published in the journal Nature, CNN reported.

The benefit was greatest for people with the APOE4 gene, especially those with two copies of APOE4, added Liu, who is also a researcher at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School.

She added that following the Mediterranean diet "reduced the likelihood of developing dementia by 35% in people with two APOE4 genes."

Another important finding of this study: People with the APOE4 gene appear to have distinctive metabolic profiles that respond dramatically to the healthy nutrients in the Mediterranean diet.

Metabolic processes, such as nutrient absorption, energy production, and the building and repair of nerves and tissues in the body and brain, depend largely on the quality of vitamins, enzymes, amino acids, carbohydrates, and lipids (fats) in a healthy diet.

"Improving metabolic function in people with APOE4 through diet may explain, or at least partially explain, the huge decline in dementia risk we observed in our study. Of course, future studies are needed to confirm this concept," Liu said.

This is an important finding, says neurologist Dr. Richard Isaacson, director of research at the Florida Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, which conducts studies on cognitive improvement in people who are genetically predisposed to Alzheimer's disease.

"I hope this will change the current dogma that having two copies of APOE4 will definitely lead to the development of Alzheimer's disease," said Isaacson, who was not involved in the study.

"Genes should not determine your fate. If the risk of dementia in a person in the highest risk category can be reduced by 35% just by following a certain diet, imagine what can be achieved when working on dozens of variable risk factors such as exercise, sleep, stress, and the like," added the neurologist. | BGNES