THE Mediterranean diet is well known for its health benefits, including a lower risk of cardiovascular disease, healthy weight management, and protection against damage to brain cells.
The diet follows a style of eating that emphasises plant-based foods and healthy fats, based on the eating habits of people in countries like Italy, Greece, Spain, and France.
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But now, researchers have suggested a modified version of the diet could be even more effective at lowering the risk of dementia and slowing down brain ageing.
Researchers from Israel found following the ‘green’ Mediterranean diet was effective in reducing high blood sugar levels and getting metabolism under control.
The version of the diet focuses on eating even more plant-based foods and less meat.
But it also includes specific foods to eat daily, such as such as green tea, walnuts, and Mankai duckweed.
As part of the study the researchers recruited over 250 obese people to follow the diet.
Other benefits they found included “neuroprotective benefits” and improved telltale signs of brain ageing on brain scans.
They said the findings showed maintaining a healthy weight and eating less processed foods “play a major role” in reducing neurodegeneration.
What the study entailed
Researchers at the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev recruited 284 volunteers, who were mostly men and aged 51, on average.
The volunteers were asked to follow the a green Mediterranean diet for 18 months, which involved consuming 28g of walnuts daily, three to four cups of green tea, and a green shake containing globosa – a plant extract.
Women were asked to consume no more than 1,200 to 1,400 calories a day, while men were told to stick to between 1,500 and 1,800 calories per day.
MRI brain scans were carried out at the beginning and end of the trial to calculate participants’ brain age.
Their body weight, blood pressure and lipid levels were also measured.
It was found following the green Mediterranean diet improved blood sugar levels by 58.33 per cent.
For those on the Mediterranean diet, the improvement was 31.62 per cent, and 28.57 per cent for the control group.
This suggested those in the green group were less likely to develop metabolic conditions like type 2 diabetes.
Writing in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the researchers also said people following the green diet “also had the most important improvements in the bran ageing metrics”.
They added: “Increased consumption of green tea and Mankai shake [the green drink] was linked to greater improvements in brain health, especially in participants who consumed the shake at least thrice a week and drank green tea daily.”
It was suggested this could be partially attributed to the high content of polyphenols present in plant-based food sources.
Polyphenols are micronutrients found in plants that are involved in defense against pathogens and ultraviolet radiation.
But the scientists noted the research has “a number of limitations” including a lack of data on volunteers’ educational or cognitive status before the study began.
They said the high proportion of male participants may also “limit the generalisability of findings to females”.
The best and worst foods for your brain
Best foods for your brain
Fatty fish – A good source of protein and omega-3 fatty acids, fatty fish can help reduce inflammation and build brain cells.
Berries – These contain flavonoids which may help improve memory.
Walnuts – These contain alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), an omega-3 fatty acid, that may also improve memory.
Worst foods for your brain
Sugary drinks – excessive intake of sugary drinks increases the odds of developing type 2 diabetes, which has been shown to increase the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
Refined carbs – These types of carbs generally have a high glycemic index (GI). Research has shown that just a single meal with a high glycemic load can impair memory in both children and adults.
Highly processed foods – These include foods such as chips, sweets, instant noodles, microwave popcorn, store-bought sauces and ready-made meals. Studies have found that people who eat a lot of ultra-processed foods have a higher risk of cognitive decline. This includes the ability to learn, remember, reason, and solve problems.
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