Brain Health Benefits of the Mediterranean Diet
You’ve heard it all before – exercise regularly, follow a healthy diet, stop smoking and drinking. Doctors and scientists have always followed the same guidelines for overall health and wellness. But a new study from the journal Neurology shows a rather new advancement – following one particular diet may make your brain about five years younger.
An MRI was performed on 674 older adults (an average of 80 years old) who participated in the study to compare factors that included total brain volume and total gray matter volume. Gray matter is mainly composed of cell bodies that help carry out most of your conscious thoughts and coordination. White matter is composed of the axons that connect to the cell bodies, controlling pathways the messages or impulses travel through to get to the brain.
Food surveys were completed by the participants describing what they ate in the last year. The study’s results showed that the group who followed a Mediterranean diet had heaver brains with more gray and white matter.
The Mediterranean diet involves meals made of mostly plants like vegetables, fruits and beans. Fish and poultry are also included. The diet advises you to eat three servings of carbs a day, particularly whole grains but to limit the amount of meat, dairy and saturated fat you eat.
A combination of the Mediterranean diet and the DASH diet (requires you to eat less fish and fruit) dubbed the MIND diet, was created by scientists at Harvard and Rush University in Chicago. Their study concluded that people who ate a diet close to the MIND diet saw a 53% lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s. The Mediterranean diet is suggested by these researchers to help you live longer, manage your weight better and lower the risk of cancer and cardiovascular diseases (CNN). Jun Wang, MS and Director of Nutrition for InVite® Health, has reported on the DASH diet in an article he wrote entitled, Supporting Approaches to Managing Hypertension –
Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) is a flexible and balanced eating plan that is based on research studies and specifically designed to lower blood pressure. The DASH diet focuses on the intake of fruits, vegetables, fat-free or low-fat dairy products, which includes whole grains, fish, poultry, beans, seeds, nuts and vegetable oils. The diet also limits the intake of sodium, sweets, sugary beverages and red meats. The DASH diet is low in saturated and trans-fats and rich in potassium, calcium, magnesium, fiber, and protein, along with the antioxidant pigments such as polyphenols and carotenoids found in produce. All of these components make this diet one of the best for cardiovascular health.
Former director of Nutrition for InVite® Health, Dr. Millie Lytle, ND, MPH, CNS has also reported on the Mediterranean Diet in an article entitled, Nutrigenomics for Prostate Health, which delved into the relationship between nutrients and genes. In her article, she reports the relationship between the Mediterranean Diet and prostate cancer –
Twenty men with diagnosed prostate cancer adhered to a Mediterranean diet, with specific adaptations, for three months. Prostate-specific antigen (PSA), C-reactive protein (CRP) and DNA damage were evaluated at baseline and after three months of following the diet. Dietary data was collated from diet diaries and an adaptation of a validated Mediterranean diet questionnaire. A significant reduction in DNA damage compared to baseline was apparent, with particular benefit noted for overall adherence to the diet, increased intake of folate, vitamin, legumes and green tea. Higher intakes of red meat and dairy products were inversely associated with DNA damage, meaning higher red meat and dairy consumption was associated with abnormal cells. The results from this small feasibility study suggest that a high-antioxidant diet, modelled on Mediterranean traditions, may be of benefit for men with prostate cancer. Protection against DNA damage appears to be associated with the diet implemented, theorized to be due to reduction in free radical damage from Reactive Oxygen Species.
For more information on the Mediterranean Diet, visit The Mayo Clinic or speak to a nutritionist or primary physician.
Source: http://www.cnn.com/2015/10/21/health/mediterranean-diet-healthier-brain/index.html
