Could Following a Mediterranean Diet Prevent Brain Shrinkage?

Adhering to a Mediterranean-like diet could decrease the amount of brain cells patients lose due to age-related shrinking, according to a recent study.

For their study, researchers examined 674 adults (mean age, 80 years) without dementia. Participants were required to complete diet-related questionnaires that asked them to report what they consumed in the past year. Researchers then divided participants into 2 groups: the first group included participants who adhered to at least 5 components of the Mediterranean diet and the second group consisted of individuals who did not follow the diet at all. After a mean 7 months of follow-up, patients underwent brain scans.
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Overall, researchers found that overall brain volume was 13.11 ml larger in participants following the Mediterranean diet compared to those not following the diet. Further, gray matter volume in the Mediterranean diet group was 5.0 ml larger, and their white matter volume was 6.41 ml larger, compared with those not following the diet.

The complete study is published in the October issue of Neurology.

-Michelle Canales Butcher

Reference:

American Academy of Neurology. Eating five Mediterranean foods may equal five fewer years of brain shrinkage. October 21, 2015. www.aan.com/PressRoom/Home/PressRelease/1413. Accessed October 22, 2015.