Mediterranean diet ‘linked to better brain health in older people’

A new study has demonstrated potential cognitive health benefits associated with a Mediterranean diet among older people.

Led by researchers from the University of California, San Francisco, the study assessed the impact of different diets on the cognitive abilities of 5,907 older adults, including their memory and attention skills.

The results underlined the health benefits of the Mediterranean diet – which is rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, potatoes, nuts, olive oil and fish – as well as the MIND diet, a modified version that combines ten brain-healthy items with five traditionally unhealthy items such as red meat, margarine, cheese, pastries, and sweets or fast food.

People who ate Mediterranean and MIND-style diets scored significantly better on the cognitive function tests than those who ate less healthy diets, with those consuming a Mediterranean-style diet experiencing a 35 percent lower risk of scoring poorly on cognitive tests.

Even a moderate Mediterranean-style diet was associated with a 15 percent lower risk of poor cognitive performance, with similar results for people who ate MIND-style diets.

Not only does this show that these diets are linked to better overall cognitive function in older adults, but they could also help to reduce the risk of cognitive impairment in later life, according to the researchers.

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