Eat Mediterranean to Benefit Your Brain

Many studies have shown that the Mediterranean diet can provide heart health benefits. This popularized diet — which emphasizes foods like fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts, whole grains, legumes, fish and olive oil — contributes to heart health by lowering low-density lipoprotein (LDL), also known as “bad” cholesterol levels. But that might not be the only benefit. Researchers recently conducted a review of these studies and found that the Mediterranean diet may improve more than heart health.

More specifically, researchers looked at the long-term cognitive function of elderly populations who had participated in these diet studies. After narrowing it to 18 studies that fit their strict criteria, they noticed that those who more strictly adhered to the Mediterranean diet experienced cognitive health benefits across the board. These elderly populations experienced less cognitive decline and greater improvements in attention, language and memory. These populations also had a decreased risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.

Although the review focused on elderly populations, researchers found that younger populations also benefited from eating this type of diet. Interestingly, the studies spanned worldwide and were not limited to the Mediterranean region, truly emphasizing the health benefits of eating these foods regardless of lifestyle.

Bottom Line: The exact mechanism behind the cognitive benefits of the Mediterranean diet is not known, but research still greatly encourages aging populations to follow this dietary pattern to prevent the development of Alzheimer’s disease or dementia. If you’re thinking about making the transition, try including two servings of fatty fish (such salmon, tuna or mackerel) to your diet each week and switching from butter to extra virgin olive oil when preparing your dishes.

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