Plant-Based Dietary Patterns Linked to Dementia Risk

Greater adherence to healthful plant-based diets was associated with a lower risk of Alzheimer disease and related dementias (ADRDs), whereas unhealthy plant-based diets were linked to increased risk, with dietary changes over time further influencing outcomes. In the prospective analysis of the US Multiethnic Cohort Study including over 92,000 diverse participants, higher baseline adherence to overall and healthful plant-based diet indices was associated with 12% and 7% lower ADRD risk, respectively, while greater intake of unhealthy plant-based foods was associated with a 6% higher risk. Longitudinal analysis showed that increasing consumption of unhealthy plant-based foods over 10 years was associated with a 25% higher risk of ADRDs, whereas reducing such intake lowered risk by 11%. These associations were consistent across age groups, racial and ethnic populations, and genetic risk strata, suggesting broad applicability. Overall, the findings highlight that not all plant-based diets are equally beneficial and that maintaining or shifting toward higher-quality plant-based dietary patterns—even later in life—may help reduce dementia risk. Source: https://www.neurology.org/