NEW YORK, Aug 11, 2009 (UPI via COMTEX) -- U.S. researchers say combining
exercise and the Mediterranean-type diet may reduce Alzheimer's risk.
The study of 1,880 elderly people with an average age of 77 living in New York,
published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, found those who
were very physically active had a 33 percent risk reduction of Alzheimer's.
Lead author Dr. Nikos Scarmeas of the Columbia University Medical Center in New
York said those who adhered more strongly to a Mediterranean-type diet had a 40
percent risk reduction.
However, those who both exercised and followed a diet closer to the
Mediterranean-type had a 60 percent reduction in their risk for developing
Alzheimer's disease during the five-year period of the study.
A Mediterranean-type diet is typically characterized by high intake of fish,
vegetables, legumes, fruits, cereals and monounsaturated fatty acids such as
olive oil, along with moderate alcohol consumption and relatively low intake of
dairy products, meats and saturated fat.
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