The diet of elderly people and the risk of developing of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) has been studied by New York researchers, whose report appears in the June 2010 Archives of Neurology. The team assessed associations between food combinations and AD risk in 2148 elderly people living in the community with no signs of dementia. For almost four years, the participants provided dietary details to allow food combinations to be analysed and were evaluated with a standard neurological and neuropsychological test about every 1.5 years. Looking at the interactions between dietary components was considered more useful than focusing on individual foods. By the end of the study, 253 participants had developed AD. The researchers identified a dietary pattern strongly associated with lower risk of AD. Participants with diets characterised by higher intakes of salad dressing, nuts, fish, tomatoes, poultry, cruciferous vegetables, fruits, and dark and green leafy vegetables and a lower intake of high-fat dairy products, red meat, organ meat and butter, had a lower risk of AD compared with those who least adhered to this type of diet. Helpfully, this dietary pattern is also linked with lower risks for diabetes and heart disease. 
Auckland has 10,000-plus people with dementia. In its 25th anniversary year, free support services provider Alzheimer’s Auckland is looking for 10,000 people to take part in Cuppa for a Cause – an easy fund-raising activity.