Researchers have found out that following the Mediterranean Diet can slow the effects of aging to the brain, such as the loss of brain cells.
The study focused on the observation of elderly dementia-free adults to determine whether higher adherence to a Mediterranean-type diet (MeDi) is related with larger MRI-measured brain volume or cortical thickness.
Around 647 healthy people over 80 years old from the Washington Heights/Hamilton Inwood Columbia Aging Project were subjected to the study led by Columbia University's Yian Gu.
Medscape Medical News reported that according to Gu, their study is the newest addition to the existing literatures that shows the health benefits of the Mediterranean Diet.
"Our study is an observational study. Although our findings are strong, it is still early to make recommendations based on this single [study]. However, our study provides a strong foundation and rationale for future longitudinal studies and intervention studies," said Dr. Gu.
The Mediterranean Diet includes high intake of vegetables, legumes, fruits, cereals, fish, and monounsaturated fatty acids, such as olive oil; low intake of saturated fatty acids, dairy products, meat, and poultry; and mild to moderate amounts of alcohol.
Participants of the study completed a food-frequency questionnaires regarding their diet over the past 12 months and underwent high-resolution structural MRI.
Researchers have discovered that 304 of the participant with higher adherence to the MeDi have 13.11 mL greater brain volume, 5.0 mL more gray matter volume, and 6.41 mL more white matter volume than those who have lesser adherence to the Mediterranean Diet.
The researchers concluded that high adherence to MeDi among elderly adults was associated with less brain atrophy and that the 2 key food elements that contributed to the benefits of MeDi on brain structure are higher fish and lower meat intakes.
"The absolute effect of MeDi on brain measures were relatively small," researchers pointed out. "However, the magnitude of the effect of consuming at least five recommended MeDi food components on TBV [total brain volume] is comparable to that of five years of increasing age. Similarly, having fish intake of three to five oz at least weekly, or keeping meat intake 100 g daily or less, may also provide a considerable protection against brain atrophy that is equivalent to about three to four years of aging."
The study was published and is available in the Official Journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
