title: Mediterranean diet and cognitive function in older adults.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The effectiveness of the Mediterranean diet in reducing the prevalence of cardiovascular and chronic diseases has been largely evidenced. Although nutrition constitutes an interesting approach in preventing age-related brain disorders, the association between the Mediterranean-style diet and cognitive functions has been very occasionally explored.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Results are provided from only two recent prospective cohorts of older Americans and French individuals (> or =65 years) on the relationship of Mediterranean diet to cognitive functions. A high adherence to the Mediterranean diet has been associated with slower cognitive decline, with reduced risk of mild cognitive impairment conversion to Alzheimer's disease and with reduced risk of Alzheimer's disease.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The possibility that the Mediterranean diet may affect not only the risk for Alzheimer's disease, but also the evolution of cognitive performances a long time before the clinical diagnosis of dementia and subsequent disease course constitutes major promising results. Replication of these results in other populations seems necessary to allow their generalization and to propose the Mediterranean diet as a potential preventive approach against cognitive decline or dementia in addition to its expected benefits against many other unfavorable outcomes in a public health perspective.
authors.affiliation: Research Center INSERM, U897, Université Victor Ségalen Bordeaux 2, Bordeaux, France. catherine.feart@isped.u-bordeaux2.fr
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Féart
authors.forename: Cécilia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Samieri
authors.forename: Pascale
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Barberger-Gateau
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000178:diet therapy*; D038441:Diet, Mediterranean; D005602:France; D006801:Humans; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014481:United States