Systemic inflammation has long been linked to conditions that harm the heart and brain An 'anti-inflammatory' diet rich in plant-based foods appears to cut an older person's odds for dementia, especially if that person already has diabetes or heart disease It's important to get your anti-inflammatory nutrients from foods, not supplements, experts say TUESDAY, Aug. 13, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- Eating a healthy diet that dampens inflammation in the body could lower your odds for dementia, especially if you already have heart risk factors, a new Swedish study shows. So-called anti-inflammatory diets focus on foods like vegetables, fruits, whole grains, fish and beans and include heart-healthy regimens such as the Mediterranean diet .
In a study involving more than 84,000 older adults tracked for more than 12 years, those who adhered to an anti-inflammatory diet had a 21% lower odds of developing dementia, compared to people who ate an unhealthy pro-inflammatory diet rich in red meats, eggs, dairy and processed foods. When looking specifically at older adults with ailments such as heart disease or diabetes, the risk of dementia fell by 31% when they stuck to an anti-inflammatory diet, reported a team led by Abigail Dove . She's an investigator at the Aging Research Center at the Karolinska Institute, in Stockholm.
MRI brain scans of a subset of more than 9,000 of the participants also showed neurological benefits linked to the healthier diet. There were "positive changes within t.