Anti-Inflammatory Diet Linked to Lower Dementia Risk in High-Risk Older Adults: Study
Sweden: A cohort study of older adults found that greater adherence to a diet with lower inflammatory potential was associated with a reduced risk of dementia, even among individuals with underlying Alzheimer's disease pathology and broader neurobiological risk factors. These findings highlight the potential role of anti-inflammatory dietary patterns as an important preventive strategy for dementia, particularly in populations already at elevated risk of developing cognitive decline.
The study, published in JAMA Network Open, was led by Anja Mrhar from the Karolinska Institutet Aging Research Center, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, in collaboration with Stockholm University.
Previous research has consistently linked healthier diets with a lower incidence of dementia. However, it has remained unclear whether these dietary benefits extend to people who already have biological evidence of Alzheimer's disease or other neurodegenerative changes. To investigate this, the researchers examined whether diet quality influenced dementia risk according to blood-based biomarkers associated with Alzheimer's pathology, neurodegeneration, and glial activation.
For this purpose, the researchers analyzed data from 1,865 dementia-free adults aged 60 years or older from the Swedish National Study on Aging and Care in Kungsholmen, who were followed for up to 15 years. They assessed adherence to the Alternate Mediterranean Diet (AMED), Alternative Healthy Eating Index (AHEI), and the reversed Empirical Dietary Inflammatory Index (rEDII), and measured baseline blood levels of phosphorylated tau 217 (p-tau217), neurofilament light chain (NFL), and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), biomarkers of Alzheimer's pathology, neurodegeneration, and glial activity.
Key Findings:
- During the follow-up period, 240 participants developed dementia.
- Greater adherence to healthier dietary patterns was associated with a lower overall risk of dementia.
- Among participants with elevated Alzheimer's disease and neurobiological biomarkers, only the diet with lower inflammatory potential (higher rEDII adherence) showed a consistent association with reduced dementia risk.
- Higher adherence to the lower-inflammatory dietary pattern was associated with a significantly lower risk of dementia among participants with elevated p-tau217, neurofilament light chain (NFL), and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) levels.
- Similar protective associations were observed for Alzheimer's disease-related dementia.
- Adherence to the Alternate Mediterranean Diet (AMED) and the Alternative Healthy Eating Index (AHEI) was associated with lower dementia risk mainly among participants with lower biomarker levels.
The researchers noted that self-reported dietary data, incomplete dietary assessments during later follow-up, serum-based biomarker measurements, missing data, and the relatively homogeneous Swedish study population may have influenced the findings and limited their generalizability.
The researchers concluded that healthier dietary patterns were associated with a lower risk of dementia over 15 years, including among individuals with Alzheimer's disease pathology and broader neurobiological risk. Diets with lower inflammatory potential showed the most consistent protective effect in high-risk individuals. They called for further studies to identify the specific foods and nutrients responsible for these benefits.
Reference:
Mrhar A, Carballo-Casla A, Grande G, et al. Diet Quality and Dementia Risk in Older Adults With Alzheimer Pathology. JAMA Netw Open. 2026;9(6):e2620254. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2026.20254
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