Neurology study links plant-based diets to lower dementia risk

By AI, Created 5:25 PM UTC, May 18, 2026, /AGP/ – A study of nearly 93,000 adults in Neurology found that healthful plant-based diets were tied to lower dementia risk, including when people improved their diets later in life. Sorridi Therapeutics says the findings support its NeuroFiber bars, which are built around gut-brain nutrition.

Why it matters: - The study adds strong evidence that diet quality can influence Alzheimer’s disease and other dementia risk. - The results also suggest that changing eating habits later in life may still help protect brain health. - That matters for a condition with limited treatment options and a major public health burden.

What happened: - Neurology published a study from the Multiethnic Cohort Study that followed 92,849 adults for an average of 11 years. - The cohort included participants with Caucasian, African American, Japanese-American, Latino and Native Hawaiian backgrounds. - People who most closely followed a healthful plant-based diet had a 12% lower dementia risk than those with unhealthful plant-based diets. - The healthful pattern emphasized whole grains, fruits, vegetables, vegetable oils, nuts, legumes, tea and coffee. - The unhealthful pattern leaned on refined grains, fruit juices, potatoes and added sugars. - In a separate look at people who changed diets about 10 years later, those who moved most toward the unhealthful pattern had a 25% higher dementia risk than people whose diets did not change. - People who most adopted the healthful pattern had an 11% lower risk.

The details: - The research was led by Song-Yi Park, PhD, of the University of Hawaii at Manoa’s Cancer Center. - The study was supported by the National Institute on Aging and the National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health. - Sorridi Therapeutics said the findings reinforce the science behind NeuroFiber, its plant-based bar line focused on the gut-brain axis. - NeuroFiber bars are described as clean-label products built around the food categories linked to reduced risk in the study. - Sorridi Therapeutics also tied the release to NeuroFiber’s exhibit at the 2026 American Academy of Neurology Annual Meeting. - The company said it shared its gut-brain science with thousands of neurologists and neuroscience professionals at the meeting. - A company executive said the study is especially important because adults in their 60s also saw lower risk when they shifted away from refined grains, juices and added sugars.

Between the lines: - The study does not claim diet is a cure or a guarantee against dementia. - The data point to prevention as a modifiable lever, which is the part most relevant for consumers and nutrition brands. - Sorridi Therapeutics is positioning NeuroFiber as a practical way to act on that science without requiring a major lifestyle overhaul.

What’s next: - The broader question is whether more research will confirm how much diet changes can reduce dementia risk across different populations. - Sorridi Therapeutics is continuing to push NeuroFiber through the neurology and neuroscience audience it targeted at the annual meeting. - More information is available in the study abstract and the company’s announcement.