대한혈관신경의학회 - The Korean Society for Vascular Neurology The Korean Society for Vascular Neurology

Eating well in middle age may help to prevent the arrival of dementia, a new study has found.

Women who were on blood pressure-lowering diets in middle age were found to be around 17 percent less likely to show signs of cognitive decline and memory loss in later life. This diet is known as "Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension", or a DASH diet. It includes high consumption of plant-based foods rich in potassium, calcium and magnesium, and low in saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium and sugar.

"Many essential nutrients that are abundant in vegetables, fruits, legumes, and nuts have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties that can reduce blood pressure and improve neuronal connectivity (brain health)," Yu Chen, a professor of population health at NYU Grossman School of Medicine in New York and senior author of the study, told Newsweek.

Alzheimer's disease affects the brain, eventually leading to the development of dementia. The exact reasons that Alzheimer's develops is still unclear, but scientists have figured out that the disease is associated with the build-up of proteins called amyloid and tau. These may clump up into structures called plaques and tangles, affecting the brain's functions. Around 5.8 million adults live with Alzheimer's disease and other dementias in the U.S., according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The new study findings, published in the journal Alzheimer's & Dementia, are significant as women make up over two-thirds of people with Alzheimer's disease, one of the most-common forms of dementia.

"Subjective complaints about daily cognitive performance are early predictors of more serious neurocognitive disorders such as Alzheimer's," Chen said in a statement. "With more than 30 years' follow-up, we found that the stronger the adherence to a DASH diet in midlife, the less likely women are to report cognitive issues much later in life."