There's not much you can do about your genetic risk factors for developing dementia. However, emerging research suggests that you may be able to lower the impact of heredity-related risks for age-related cognitive decline by adopting a specific diet plan.

A 2025 study published in Nature Medicine looked at the health data history of more than 5,000 men and women. Over approximately three decades, the adults who followed a Mediterranean-style dietary lifestyle were less likely to receive a dementia diagnosis. This outcome held fast, even among participants who carried at least one genetic biomarker for dementia.

(Here's what to eat to reduce your risk of Alzheimer's disease .)

The cognitive effects of a Mediterranean diet have been highlighted before. A 2022 review in Frontiers in

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