Fish, Fruits, Veggies May Cut Dementia Risk

Fish, Fruits, Veggies May Cut Dementia Risk
THURSDAY, Nov. 15 (HealthDay News) -- A diet that includes plentyof fish, omega-3 rich oils, fruits and vegetables may reduce the risk ofdementia and Alzheimer's disease, while high intake of omega-6 rich oilsmay boost the risk of developing memory problems, say French researchers.
They looked at the diets of 8,085 people older than 65 who did not havedementia at the start of the study. Over the following four years, 183 ofthe participants developed Alzheimer's disease, and 98 developed anotherform of dementia.
People who regularly consumed omega-3 rich oils, such as canola,flaxseed, and walnut oil, were 60 percent less likely to develop dementiathan those who did not regularly consume such oils. The study also foundthat regular consumption of fruits and vegetables lowered dementia risk by30 percent.
People who ate fish at least once a week were 40 percent less likely todevelop dementia and 35 percent less likely to develop Alzheimer's, butonly if they didn't carry a gene (ApoE4) known to increase the risk ofAlzheimer's.
"Given that most people do not carry the ApoE4 gene, these resultscould have considerable implications in terms of public health," studyauthor Pascale Barberger-Gateau, of the French National Institute forHealth and Medical Research, said in a prepared statement. "However, moreresearch is needed to identify the optimal quantity and combination ofnutrients which could be predictive before implementing nutritionalrecommendations."
The researchers also found that people without the ApoE4 gene whoregularly consumed omega-6 rich oils -- such as sunflower or grape seedoil -- but not omega-3 rish oils or fish were twice as likely to developdementia as people who didn't eat omega-6 rich oils.
The study is published in the Nov. 13 issue of the journalNeurology.