In a prospective study in Athens, Greece of 401 elderly men and women (age 65+), adherence to the Mediterranean diet was measured in addition to performance on the mini-mental state examination over time, to estimate the severity and progression of cognitive impairment or dementia.1
Decline in mini-mental state examination performance was inversely associated with adherence to the Mediterranean diet. High adherence to the Mediterranean diet was associated with a 54% lower risk of mild cognitive decline, and with a 66% lower risk of substantial cognitive decline.1
Reference:
- Trichopoulou, Antonia, et al. "Mediterranean diet and cognitive decline over time in an elderly Mediterranean population." European journal of nutrition54.8 (2015): 1311-1321. < http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00394-014-0811-z>
