Residents of the US seem to be at particular risk, with each person having about a 4 per cent chance of developing Alzheimer's disease, likely due in part to the Western dietary pattern, which tends to include a large amount of meat consumption.
"Reducing meat consumption could significantly reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease as well as of several cancers, diabetes mellitus type 2, stroke and chronic kidney disease," said William B Grant, author of the research published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition.
"Mounting evidence from ecological and observational studies, as well as studies of mechanisms, indicates that the Western dietary pattern - especially the large amount of meat in that diet - is strongly associated with risk of developing Alzheimer's disease and several other chronic diseases," Grant said.
"Although the traditional Mediterranean diet is associated with about half the risk for Alzheimer's disease of the Western diet, the traditional diets of countries such as India, Japan, and Nigeria, with very low meat consumption, are associated with an additional 50 per cent reduction in risk of Alzheimer's disease," he said.
http://www.ndtv.com/health/traditional-indian-diet-significantly-cuts-alzheimers-risk-study-1451101