Research

Mixed

Higher adherence to a Mediterranean dietary pattern is associated with slower cognitive decline and a reduced risk of developing Alzheimer's disease in older adults.

To support cognitive health and reduce Alzheimer's risk, adopt a Mediterranean-style diet. This means eating plenty of fruits, vegetables, cereals, legumes, and fish, using olive oil as your main fat source, and limiting red meat and saturated fats. While you don't need to track every gram, aiming for high adherence to this pattern is associated with slower cognitive decline in older adults.

ModerateSupportsMEDIUM confidence
Higher adherence to Mediterranean diet was associated with better cognitive function, lower rates of cognitive decline, and reduced risk of Alzheimer disease in nine out of 12 studies... Published studies suggest that greater adherence to Mediterranean diet is associated with slower cognitive decline and lower risk of developing Alzheimer disease.
Ilianna Lourida et al. · Epidemiology · 2013

Why this rating

Based on a systematic review of 12 studies (11 observational, 1 RCT), but with noted methodological heterogeneity and inconsistent results for mild cognitive impairment.

Source

Mediterranean Diet, Cognitive Function, and Dementia

Ilianna Lourida et al. · Epidemiology · 2013

DOI 10.1097/ede.0b013e3182944410

systematic_reviewCited 511×
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DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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