A midlife diet emphasizing lean meats, fish, poultry, fruits and vegetables may result in a lower risk of Alzheimer's disease than a diet heavy in red or processed meats, fats and sugars, according to researchers at the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland.

The researchers collected data on food consumption during three different stages of adulthood. When they analyzed data for the 40 to 59 age period for 96 people with Alzheimer's and 214 unaffected individuals, two distinct dietary patterns.

"One pattern, which we called the high-fat, low antioxidant pattern, consists of foods such as red meats, processed meats, eggs, fried chicken, high-fat dairy products, high energy drinks (drinks with sugar), french fries, refined grains, margarine, snacks, nuts, sweets and desserts," said researcher Grace Petot.

"The second pattern -- high antioxidant, low-fat -- included foods such as yellow and green vegetables, fish and seafood, fruits, homemade and readymade soups, whole grains, tomatoes and other vegetables," she said.

The researchers calculated risk of Alzheimer's disease associated with these diet patterns, and found that the high antioxidant, low-fat diet lowered the risk of Alzheimer's even for individuals who carry the gene variant ApoE, which is associated with an increased incidence of the disease.

The research was presented at the 8th International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders in Stockholm, Sweden.

Other sources: International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease