Die mediterrane Ernährung, reich an Obst, Gemüse, Vollkornprodukten, Nüssen und gesunden Fetten, ist mit einem geringeren Demenzrisiko verbunden, insbesondere bei denen mit zwei Kopien von ApoE4 -Gen. 40% des schützenden Zusammenhangs der Ernährung mit Demenzrisiko könnten durch positive Auswirkungen auf wichtige Metaboliten erklärt werden.

I’ve linked to the news release in the post above. In this comment, for those interested, here’s the link to the peer reviewed journal article:

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-025-03891-5

From the linked article:

Mediterranean diet may mitigate inherited risk of Alzheimer’s disease

A new study has revealed that a person’s genetic makeup can alter how small molecules in their blood, known as metabolites, are linked to their risk of developing dementia. The research, published in Nature Medicine, also suggests that following a Mediterranean diet may be particularly effective at lowering dementia risk for individuals who carry the highest genetic predisposition for Alzheimer’s disease.

The researchers explored the impact of the Mediterranean diet, a dietary pattern rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and healthy fats. **They first confirmed that greater adherence to this diet was associated with a lower risk of dementia. The analysis then showed that this protective effect was most pronounced among individuals with two copies of the APOE4 gene**. This suggests that the diet may be particularly beneficial for those at the highest genetic risk.

The researchers discovered a potential biological reason for this observation. The Mediterranean diet appeared to more effectively modulate the levels of dementia-related metabolites in people with the APOE4 gene. **In a mediation analysis, the team found that for apolipoprotein E gene carriers, nearly 40% of the diet’s protective association with dementia risk could be explained by its positive impact on a key set of metabolites**. This mediating effect was not observed in people who did not carry the high-risk gene.