There’s more good news about Mediterranean diets and healthy living. It appears that eating a Mediterranean diet can slow brain aging and cognitive decline as well as possibly prevent the onset of Alzheimer’s Disease. The results of a study recently published in the Archives of Neurology adds to a growing list of health benefits associated with following a Mediterranean diet including a reduction in cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, Parkinson’s disease and obesity.
Why Is the Mediterranean Diet Healthy?
What’s not to love about the Mediterranean diet? It’s delicious and easy to follow, emphasizing healthy fats such as olive and canola oil along with red wine and low glycemic grains, nuts and fibers. Mediterranean meals also focus on fruits and vegetables while encouraging a reduction in red meat, saturated fat and dairy product consumption. Yet, the Mediterranean diet still offers a wealth of options for people with diverse tastes.
The Mediterranean Diet and Brain Health
How does the Mediterranean diet help brain health? According to this study, the Mediterranean diet seems to reduce forgetfulness and helps to sharpen mental focus and clarity. Simply put, people’s minds were more nimble and their memories clearer when they ate a Mediterranean diet. The benefits were most dramatic in individuals who adhered most closely to the diet, but benefit was seen even in those who were not as compliant. Even in individuals experiencing some degree of cognitive impairment and brain dysfunction already, those who closely followed the Mediterranean diet had a 48 percent reduction in progression to Alzheimer’s Disease, suggesting that brain function seemed to stabilize while on the Mediterranean diet program.
Several medical studies have now unequivocally demonstrated a dose response to Mediterranean diets, meaning the more stringently the diet is followed the greater the positive benefits for brain health. Researchers have different theories about how Mediterranean diets may exert their healthful brain effects. Some believe that it’s due to a reduction in the amount of inflammation in the brain. Others propose that improvement in cholesterol profiles may be responsible for improving brain health. Both factors are known to influence brain aging and the development of dementia.
The Mediterranean Diet and Brain Health: The Bottom Line?
Regardless of the mechanism of action, the prevention of cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s related dementia is just another reason to adopt the Mediterranean diet as the diet of choice for promoting good health and nutrition. It’s a healthy diet that can be enjoyed, in some form, by almost anyone.
References:
Arch Neurol. 2009;66(2):216-225.
Kristie Leong - I'm a family physician interested in all aspects of traditional and alternative medicine, especially the use of nutrition to prevent ...
