How Mediterranean Diet Keeps Aging of Brain In Check According To Study [VIDEO]
As people grow older, there is a gradual decline in the health of the brain. In other words, the brain also ages with time. However, if one follows a Mediterranean diet the shrinkage can be significantly controlled.
A new study suggests that brain shrinkage is less noticeable in older folks whose diets followed a close pattern with the traditional diet of Mediterranean people, reports Los Angeles Times. Here, the Mediterranean diet refers to the one that includes lots of fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes, olive oil, little red meat and poultry along with moderate consumption of fish and red wine.
The study found that those whose consumption pattern was closer to the Mediterranean diet were less susceptible to loss of brain volume in comparison to those who did not follow such a diet. The research was conducted on a group of 400 Scots in their 70s and researchers analyzed their diets over a three-year period, claims Fox2now.
Researchers took MRI scans of the participants to evaluate their overall brain volume and thickness of the brain's cortex. It was found that even though many in the Med-diet group did not adhere completely to the parameters, the average brain-volume loss differed between the two groups.
Notably, past studies on Mediterranean diet have also asserted a link between healthy aging and this diet. Such a study was conducted in 2015 and it came to the conclusion that a Mediterranean diet that includes wine can make your brain five years younger. It found out that the group that followed this diet had heavier brains with more gray and white matter.
Well, the good thing about the Mediterranean diet is that it is simple to follow and consists of meals that are mostly made up of plants i.e. fruits, vegetables, cereals and beans. One does not have to forego the carbohydrates.
Instead, one should have three servings a day, especially of the whole grain variety. Fish and poultry are allowed at least twice a week. Wine is okay in moderation but one needs to limit the amount of saturated fat, dairy and meat.
