A nice slab of freshly grilled tuna. Some green vegetables sauteed in garlic and olive oil. And of course a glass of good wine. Not only are these among life’s simple pleasures, they could also help you remember life’s simple pleasures as you get older.

People who eat the most fish & vegetables, and have the highest levels of  polyunsaturated fats in their diets have the lowest risk of Alzheimer’s disease and other late-in-life dementias, according to an exhaustive literature review by Dr. Vincenzo Solfrizzi and colleagues at the Department of Geriatrics, University of Bari, Italy. The investigators have provided a comprehensive outline of the dietary patterns that reduce dementia risk as well as those that increase the odds.

In a nutshell, those who eat diets high in fish, vegetables, and unsaturated fats have the lowest risk of both Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia; those who don’t eat their fish and vegetables and opt instead for foods high in saturated fats have the highest risk (Solfrizzi V et al. Expert Rev Neurother. 2011;11(5):677-708).

The authors focused on the classic Mediterranean diet patterns, characterized by a high intake of vegetables, fruits and nuts, legumes, cereals, fish and monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA); relatively low intakes of meat and dairy products; and moderate consumption of alcohol.

“The sum of evidence suggested that an increase of saturated fatty acids could have negative effects on cognitive functions and incident dementia, while a clear reduction of risk for cognitive decline has been found in population samples with elevated fish consumption, and high intake of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids, particularly omega-3 fatty acids. In fact, fish, particularly fatty fish (e.g., herring, mackerel, salmon or trout), is the principal source of n-3 PUFA in the Mediterranean diet,” the authors note.

“Very recently, the baseline data from the Older People And n-3 Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid (OPAL) study suggested that higher fish consumption is associated with better cognitive function in later life.”

Among the other key brain-saving elements in the Mediterranean diet are the olive oil and the daily glass of wine. Indeed, the stats show that moderate alcohol consumers—people who drink an average of a glass of wine per day—have the lowest risk of both forms of dementia.

People who appreciate the role of chronic inflammation and oxidative stress in driving most chronic disease processes—including those leading to dementia—will find few surprises in Dr. Solfrizzi’s conclusions. Still, it is nice to have a thorough, comprehensive and well-written review to support the endeavor to get people to eat healthfully.

Thanks to Dr. Roby Mitchell, aka Dr. Fitt, for calling this article to our attention.

For more integrative views on Alzheimer’s disease, read “Is Herpes a Trigger for Alzheimer’s Disease?” from Holistic Primary Care’s summer 2011 edition.