Neurology
Quality matters: plant-based diet and dementia risk
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Clinical takeaway: Encourage plant-based eating patterns to support brain health, with an emphasis on higher-quality choices.
Plant-based eating may play a role in long-term cognitive health. Researchers evaluated how plant-based diets relate to dementia risk, including differences between higher-quality diets rich in whole plant foods and lower-quality diets high in refined and processed foods.
Among 92,849 adults followed for an average of 11 years, those with the highest intake of plant-based foods had a 12% lower risk of dementia compared with those with the lowest intake. Higher-quality plant-based diets were associated with a 7% lower risk, while lower-quality plant-based diets were associated with a 6% higher risk.
Among 45,065 participants with repeat diet data, those who shifted toward less healthy plant-based diets over 10 years had a 25% higher risk of dementia, while those who improved diet quality had an 11% lower risk.
“Our findings highlight that it is important not only to follow a plant-based diet, but also to ensure that the diet is of high quality,” said Song-Yi Park, PhD, of the University of Hawaii at Manoa.
Source: Park SY, et al. Neurology. April 8, 2026. Plant-Based Dietary Patterns and Risk of Alzheimer Disease and Related Dementias in the Multiethnic Cohort Study