EATING a "Mediterranean-style" healthy diet may significantly reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, a study has suggested. The BBC reported that US researchers looked at the diet and health of 2,200 people over four years, and the more people kept to a Mediterranean diet, the less likely they were to develop Alzheimer's, according to the Annals of Neurology study. Alzheimer's experts said the research added to evidence that a healthy diet could have a protective effect. The Mediterranean diet - rich in fruit, vegetables and cereals with some fish and alcohol and very little dairy and meat - has been cited as being generally good for health for some time. The researchers from the Columbia University Medical Center assessed participants' neurological health, and noted their dietary habits. Their food intake was given a "Mediterranean Diet score" of between zero and nine. During the course of the study, 262 people were diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. The researchers accept their findings relied heavily on people's memories of what they ate, but said a tested dietary assessment technique had been used. Dr Nicholas Scarmeas, who led the research, reportedly said: "Higher adherence to the Mediterranean diet is associated with a reduction in risk for Alzheimer's disease." Professor Clive Ballard, director of research at the UK's Alzheimer's Society, reportedly said: "This large study in a leading journal adds to the growing weight of evidence that diet and lifestyle are very important risk factors for Alzheimer's disease.

"It makes an important contribution by suggesting that a strong adherence to a healthy diet can reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease by as much as 40%, emphasising the importance of healthy eating."

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