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Nutraceutical properties of Mediterranean diet and cognitive decline: possible underlying mechanisms
Frisardi V, Panza F, Seripa D, Imbimbo BP, Vendemiale G, Pilotto A, Solfrizzi V.. Journal of Alzheimer's disease : JAD, 2010-01-01
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Recent prospective studies provided evidence that higher adherence to a Mediterranean-type diet could be associated with slower cognitive decline, reduced risk of progression from mild cognitive impairment to Alzheimer's disease (AD), reduced risk of AD, and decreased mortality in AD patients. Furthermore, the Mediterranean diet (MeDi) combines several foods, micro- and macronutrients already separately proposed as potential protective factors against dementia and predementia syndromes. At present, epidemiological evidence suggests a possible association between fish consumption, monounsaturated fatty acids, and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) (particularly, n-3 PUFA), and reduced risk of cognitive decline and dementia. Light to moderate alcohol use may be associated with a reduced risk of incident dementia and AD, while for vascular dementia, cognitive decline, and predementia syndromes, the current evidence is only suggestive of a protective effect. Finally, the limited epidemiological evidence available on fruit and vegetable consumption and cognition generally support a protective role of these macronutrients against cognitive decline, dementia, and AD. We reviewed evidence on the possible mechanisms underlying the suggested protective role of MeDi against age-related changes in cognitive function, predementia syndromes, and dementia, examining the possible role of macronutrients and food nutrients of the MeDi and their nutraceutical properties in modulating the risk of cognitive decline. Although vascular variables are likely to be in the causal pathway between MeDi and dementia syndromes and should be considered as possible mediators, other nonvascular biological mechanisms (i.e., metabolic, oxidative, and inflammatory) may be invoked to explain the complex epidemiological association between MeDi and cognitive decline.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Frisardi, V., Panza, F., Seripa, D., Imbimbo, B. P., Vendemiale, G., Pilotto, A., et al. (2010). Nutraceutical properties of Mediterranean diet and cognitive decline: possible underlying mechanisms. Journal of Alzheimer's disease : JAD. https://doi.org/10.3233/jad-2010-100942
Vancouver
Frisardi V, Panza F, Seripa D, Imbimbo BP, Vendemiale G, Pilotto A, et al. Nutraceutical properties of Mediterranean diet and cognitive decline: possible underlying mechanisms. Journal of Alzheimer's disease : JAD. 2010. doi:10.3233/jad-2010-100942. PMID: 20858954.
BibTeX
@article{frisardi2010-20858954,
author = {Frisardi, V. and Panza, F. and Seripa, D. and Imbimbo, B. P. and Vendemiale, G. and Pilotto, A. and Solfrizzi, V.},
title = {{Nutraceutical properties of Mediterranean diet and cognitive decline: possible underlying mechanisms}},
journal = {Journal of Alzheimer's disease : JAD},
year = {2010},
doi = {10.3233/jad-2010-100942},
pmid = {20858954},
url = {https://doi.org/10.3233/jad-2010-100942}
}
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.
Key findings
- Recent prospective studies provided evidence that higher adherence to a Mediterranean-type diet could be associated with slower cognitive decline, reduced risk of progression from mild cognitive impairment to Alzheimer's disease (AD), reduced risk of AD, and decreased mortality in AD patients.
- Light to moderate alcohol use may be associated with a reduced risk of incident dementia and AD, while for vascular dementia, cognitive decline, and predementia syndromes, the current evidence is only suggestive of a protective effect.
Why it matters
This review of prospective studies reports that higher adherence to a Mediterranean-type diet was associated with slower cognitive decline and reduced risk of progression from mild cognitive impairment to Alzheimer's disease. The evidence is epidemiological and associative, so it does not establish that diet prevents or treats the disease.
Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 44/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Journal of Alzheimer's disease : JAD) |
| Journal's citation record | 2 / 4 | Journal of Alzheimer s Disease: journal h-index 218 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 2010 — 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 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 5 / 7 | Cited 180 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 3 / 5 | 10.0 citations a year over 18 year(s) since 2010 |
| Impact for its field and year | 4 / 6 | Cited 10.8× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 2 / 6 | Cited by 7 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 2 / 4 | Cited 24 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author Vincenzo Solfrizzi: h-index 74 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 0 / 3 | University of Bari Aldo Moro: institution h-index 586 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 4 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 20858954) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 44 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
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