Mediterranean diet reduces brain shrinkage in old age

  • The Mediterranean diet is the diet most associated with cognitive and health benefits in older adults.
  • A new study has found larger brain volumes among those following this sort of diet, equivalent to that of brains five years younger.
  • Much of this was associated with two components of the diet in particular: eating fish regularly, and eating less meat.

Another study adds to the growing evidence that a Mediterranean diet is good for the aging brain.

The New York study used data from 674 non-demented older adults (average age 80). It found that those who closely followed such a diet showed significantly less brain shrinkage. Specifically, total brain volume was an average 13.11 milliliters greater, with grey matter volume 5 millilitres greater, and white matter 6.4 millilitres greater.

Eating at least five of the recommended Mediterranean diet components was associated with benefits equivalent to five years of age. By far the most important of these components was regular fish and reduced meat intake — at least 3 to 5 ounces of fish weekly; no more than 3.5 ounces of meat daily.

This is consistent with a considerable amount of research indicating the benefits of fish in fighting age-related cognitive decline.

http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/oct/21/mediterranean-diet-may-slow-the-ageing-process-by-five-years

Reference: 

Related News

Research into the link, if any, between cholesterol and dementia, has been somewhat contradictory. A very long-running Swedish study may explain why.

A study involving 360 patients with degenerative dementia (109 people with dementia with

In a study in which 78 healthy elders were given 5 different tests and then tested for cognitive performance 18 months later, two tests combined to correctly predict nearly 80% of those who developed significant cognitive decline.

A study involving 676 children (7-9) in rural Nepal has found that those whose mothers received iron, folic acid and vitamin A supplementation during their pregnancies and for three months after the birth performed better on some measures of intellectual and motor functioning compared to offspri

Clinical records of 211 patients diagnosed with probable Alzheimer's disease have revealed that those who have spoken two or more languages consistently over many years experienced a delay in the onset of their symptoms by as much as five years.

A study involving 68 healthy older adults (65-85) has compared brain activity among four groups, determined whether or not they carry the Alzheimer’s gene ApoE4 and whether their physical activity is reported to be high or low.

Following on from previous studies showing that drinking beet juice can lower blood pressure, a study involving 14 older adults (average age 75) has found that after two days of eating a high-nitrate breakfast, which included 16 ounces of beet juice, blood flow to the

A six-year study involving over 1200 older women (70+) has found that low amounts of albumin in the urine, at levels not traditionally considered clinically significant, strongly predict faster cognitive decline in older women.

More evidence that vascular disease plays a crucial role in age-related cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s comes from data from participants in the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative.

A simple new cognitive assessment tool with only 16 items appears potentially useful for identifying problems in thinking, learning and memory among older adults.

Pages

Subscribe to Latest newsSubscribe to Latest newsSubscribe to Latest health newsSubscribe to Latest news
Error | About memory

Error

The website encountered an unexpected error. Please try again later.