Overview

• A Nature Medicine analysis of two long-term U.S. cohorts found that adherence to Mediterranean-style eating was associated with reduced incident dementia and slower cognitive decline.
• People with two copies of the APOE4 variant saw the largest relative benefit, with about a 35% lower risk reported compared with peers who adhered less closely.
• Researchers examined 4,215 women in the Nurses’ Health Study (1989–2023) and validated results in 1,490 men in the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study (1993–2023).
• Metabolomic data indicated partial mediation, as diet-linked shifts in specific lipid and nutrient-related metabolites were tied to lower risk.
• Investigators from Mass General Brigham, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, and the Broad Institute note the predominantly European-ancestry sample and urge replication and translational studies before clinical adoption.