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Mediterranean diet, cognitive function, and dementia: a systematic review
Lourida I, Soni M, Thompson-Coon J, Purandare N, Lang IA, Ukoumunne OC, Llewellyn DJ.. Epidemiology (Cambridge, Mass.), 2013-07-01
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Background Adherence to a Mediterranean diet has been associated with lower risk of various age-related diseases including dementia. Although narrative reviews have been published, no systematic review has synthesized studies on the association between Mediterranean diet adherence and cognitive function or dementia. Methods We conducted a systematic review of 11 electronic databases (including Medline) of published articles up to January 2012. Reference lists, selected journal contents, and relevant websites were also searched. Study selection, data extraction, and quality assessment were performed independently by two reviewers using predefined criteria. Studies were included if they examined the association between a Mediterranean diet adherence score and cognitive function or dementia. Results Twelve eligible papers (11 observational studies and one randomized controlled trial) were identified, describing seven unique cohorts. Despite methodological heterogeneity and limited statistical power in some studies, there was a reasonably consistent pattern of associations. Higher adherence to Mediterranean diet was associated with better cognitive function, lower rates of cognitive decline, and reduced risk of Alzheimer disease in nine out of 12 studies, whereas results for mild cognitive impairment were inconsistent. Conclusions Published studies suggest that greater adherence to Mediterranean diet is associated with slower cognitive decline and lower risk of developing Alzheimer disease. Further studies would be useful to clarify the association with mild cognitive impairment and vascular dementia. Long-term randomized controlled trials promoting a Mediterranean diet may help establish whether improved adherence helps to prevent or delay the onset of Alzheimer disease and dementia.
Key findings
- Background Adherence to a Mediterranean diet has been associated with lower risk of various age-related diseases including dementia.
- Results Twelve eligible papers (11 observational studies and one randomized controlled trial) were identified, describing seven unique cohorts.
- Higher adherence to Mediterranean diet was associated with better cognitive function, lower rates of cognitive decline, and reduced risk of Alzheimer disease in nine out of 12 studies, whereas results for mild cognitive impairment were inconsistent.
- Conclusions Published studies suggest that greater adherence to Mediterranean diet is associated with slower cognitive decline and lower risk of developing Alzheimer disease.
Why it matters
Across 12 papers describing seven groups of people, higher adherence to a Mediterranean diet was linked to better cognitive function, lower rates of cognitive decline, and reduced risk of Alzheimer disease in nine of the 12 studies. Results for mild cognitive impairment were inconsistent, and the studies had differing methods and limited statistical power in some cases.
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Study details
- Study designrandomized controlled trial
- Evidence strengthHigh
How this study scored 66/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal, and it is a systematic review of all the studies on the question. Scored zero for sample size, effect reported and studied in people because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Epidemiology (Cambridge, Mass.)) |
| Journal's citation record | 2 / 4 | Epidemiology: journal h-index 249 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 12 / 12 | A systematic review of all the studies on the question (from PubMed type “Systematic Review”) |
| Strength of evidence | 5 / 5 | Rated “high” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 2013 — within 20 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | A review of other studies — randomisation is not credited here |
| Times cited | 6 / 7 | Cited 522 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 4 / 5 | 34.8 citations a year over 15 year(s) since 2013 |
| Impact for its field and year | 6 / 6 | Cited 43.0× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 4 / 6 | Cited by 52 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 3 / 4 | Cited 92 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author David J. Llewellyn: h-index 68 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | University of Exeter: institution h-index 905 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 0 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 1 institution(s) in 1 country — scores zero (affiliation lists can be incomplete) |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 23680940) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 66 / 100 | — |
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Read the original
May need a subscription Unpaywall, Europe PMC and OpenAlex found no free copy of the full text (checked 10 Oct 2026), so the publisher may charge for it. The PubMed abstract is free.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. The record names 7 authors; APA and Vancouver show the first six, BibTeX and the downloads carry all of them. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Lourida, I., Soni, M., Thompson-Coon, J., Purandare, N., Lang, I. A., Ukoumunne, O. C., et al. (2013). Mediterranean diet, cognitive function, and dementia: a systematic review. Epidemiology (Cambridge, Mass.). https://doi.org/10.1097/ede.0b013e3182944410
Vancouver
Lourida I, Soni M, Thompson-Coon J, Purandare N, Lang IA, Ukoumunne OC, et al. Mediterranean diet, cognitive function, and dementia: a systematic review. Epidemiology (Cambridge, Mass.). 2013. doi:10.1097/ede.0b013e3182944410. PMID: 23680940.
BibTeX
@article{lourida2013-23680940,
author = {Lourida, I. and Soni, M. and Thompson-Coon, J. and Purandare, N. and Lang, I. A. and Ukoumunne, O. C. and Llewellyn, D. J.},
title = {{Mediterranean diet, cognitive function, and dementia: a systematic review}},
journal = {Epidemiology (Cambridge, Mass.)},
year = {2013},
doi = {10.1097/ede.0b013e3182944410},
pmid = {23680940},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1097/ede.0b013e3182944410}
}
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