Mediterranean Diet Protects Memory and Brain

 

A Mediterranean diet that includes a few tablespoons of olive oil and a few nuts may counteract the aging effects on the brain according to a recent clinical study by Emilio Ros and his team at University of Barcelona in Spain. It is a clinical study and not an observational study like the majority of studies that tell us about the great benefits of Mediterranean diet.

We already know from the data collected at the many previous observational studies that a diet rich in foods similar to that of Mediterranean diet is linked to less risk of dementia at old age and much better cognitive functioning and this Barcelona University clinical study seems to remove the restrictions on some of those epidemiological studies. But the first thing that comes to mind when we talk about the benefits of Mediterranean diet is its benefits on cardiovascular health as it includes a variety of fruits and vegetables, legumes, whole grains, fish, dairy products, some meat and wine.

There were a total of 447 participants in this study between the ages of 55 and 80 and they were divided into three groups. First group followed a standard Mediterranean diet plus 30 grams of almonds, hazelnut and walnuts, second group followed the Med diet plus five tablespoons of olive oil and the third control group just followed a low fat diet and these groups were kept in the study, observed and followed for a little over four years. And the results showed that Nuts group showed strong memory function while the olive oil group had the best results with attention and cognitive abilities.

According to the authors of this specific study, the reason why people in both groups on Mediterranean diet experienced less decline in cognitive functions is probably because of this diet offering anti-inflammatory agents and antioxidants. Both the type of nuts consumed and olive oil are rich in phenolic compounds that fight the oxidative processes in the brain that leads to neurodegeneration. This study that covers 447 participants over more than four years is part of a bigger research ‘PREDIMED’ that involved almost 7500 people that already showed that the Mediterranean diet with nuts or olive oil reduced the cardiovascular diseases or incidents in people that are at higher risk.

Participants received a litre of olive oil per week for the family and they were recommended to add five tablespoons of olive oil and a handful of nuts to their diet to prevent age related cognitive decline and they were also recommended to prepare a simmered sauce of tomatoes, onions, garlic in olive oil which was described as the ‘antioxidant cocktail’ and have it with their pasta or rice meals every week. Please bear in mind that the experimental Mediterranean diet with nuts and/or olive oil did not improve the brain function but it reduced the extent of its decline by age. But it still shows that simple changes in your diet will have an impact on not just your heart but also your overall health and well-being and there is absolutely no doubt about that!

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