Another string has been added to the bow of the Mediterranean diet, new research showing it can slow down cognitive decline.
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A new meta-analysis of 18 articles adds to the evidence that a Mediterranean diet cannot only slow cognitive decline, but also improve cognitive function by lowering the risk for cognitive impairment later in life. The study appears in the open-access journal Frontiers in Nutrition.
Rich in plant foods such as leafy greens, fresh fruit and vegetables, cereals, beans, seeds, nuts, and legumes, and including a moderate consumption of fish, the MedDiet is also low in dairy and red meat, with olive oil as its main source of healthy fat. “These include reducing inflammatory responses, increasing micronutrients, improving vitamin and mineral imbalances, changing lipid profiles by using olive oils as the main source of dietary fats, maintaining weight and potentially reducing obesity”, he says.
That said, the researchers found that people all around the world benefited from the diet, not just those living in the Mediterranean region.
Hardman and colleagues from the Centre for Human Psychopharmacology at Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne evaluated all the available papers between 2000-2015 that investigated if and how a MedDiet may impact cognitive processes over time. This news comes as the researchers have established that there is a strong link between the Mediterranean diet and boosts in a person’s memory, attention and even in their language ability. Memory, in particular, was positively affected by the Mediterranean diet, including improvements in delayed recognition, long-term, and working memory, executive function and visual constructs. The lead author of the study, Roy Hardman, also let readers know that it is never too late to make the change and that this diet can even help those who are further along in life.
Excitingly, the researchers found that these cognitive benefits from a MedDiet were not exclusive to the older population.
Although cognitive decline is a condition of associated with aging, the cognitive benefits of the diet observed were not unique to seniors, with two of the studies included also finding improvements in younger adults.
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Most scientists recommend individuals in all age groups switch to the Mediterranean diet. Following this diet means favoring lean sources of protein like chicken, turkey, and fish instead of red meat, which contains unsafe saturated fat.
