Diet may help reduce occurance of diseases

Research suggests that following a Mediterranean diet can reduce the risk of heart disease. Now a new study says that same diet may also be able to help fight Alzheimer's.

Nancy O'Connor, Education and Outreach Director for The Merc, said these findings are not surprising.

"Consumers are always looking for a quick fix or an easy answer," O'Connor said. "There are basics about nutrition that have withstood the test of time, and the Mediterranean diet really reflects that."

A typical Mediterranean diet consists of eating more fresh fruits, vegetables, grains and fish while consuming less meat and dairy products. O'Connor acknowledges that a change to this style of diet can be hard for Americans. She said she has seen a trend lately, of the Mediterranean diet growing in popularity.

O'Connor said a Mediterranean diet can have other health benefits in addition to helping protect against Alzheimer's and heart disease.

"All of these aspects of it are good for potentially lowering blood cholestorol, good for lower blood pressure," O'Connor said.

Authors of the study said more research is needed before doctors can recommend a Mediterranean diet to prevent Alzheimer's altogether, but current results look promising. In this study, those who followed the Mediterranean diet were 40 percent less likely to develop Alzheimer's than those who did not follow the diet.