Mediterranean diet can help counteract the age-related decline in memory and thinking skills

When I make a salad, I Drizzle with olive oil and throw in a handful of toasted nuts. Could it simply tasty I usually help maintain vigilance in the coming years? Maybe.  

A new study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine this week suggests that eating a Mediterranean style diet reinforced with extra virgin olive oil or nuts is good for the mind as well as your heart.

These results, which come from a long-term clinical trial of different diets, are the first to demonstrate the potential benefits associated with the brain of a supply model over another.

Participants were part of a large trial known as PREDIMED Spanish abbreviation for Prevention with Mediterranean Diet (which means "prevention with Mediterranean diet"). The basis of the Mediterranean diet plant focuses primarily on fruits, vegetables, whole grains , beans and other legumes, nuts, seeds and olive oil. It also has moderate amounts of seafood, poultry, eggs and dairy products, but only includes lean meat rations red and candy.

Participants were mostly in their 60s and 70s and are at risk of developing heart disease. Most overweight and many had high cholesterol or high blood pressure. They were divided into three groups: one followed a Mediterranean diet and ate an extra ounce of nuts (walnuts, hazelnuts and almonds) per day; another followed a Mediterranean diet and ate an extra virgin olive oil five tablespoons per day; the third group, which served as a control, followed a low-fat diet.

All 447 participants in this part of the trial PREDIMED took six different tests of cognitive function - a combination of memory and thinking skills - at the beginning of the trial. Three quarters of them have completed the same tests again about four years later.

In the control group, the mean scores in both tests - memory and thinking skills - fell over the four years. By comparison, the average scores on memory tests among those who follow a Mediterranean diet, with extra servings of nuts improved, while scores on tests of thinking skills improved among those who follow the Mediterranean diet with portions oil additional olive.

Although the results of this study are promising, it is important to keep in mind some caveats: The study included only a small fraction (6%) of all participants Predimed. The trial was not designed to examine the links between diet and brain health. And a quarter of participants never took the second set of tests. All this means that the results should be taken with a grain of salt. 

How could the olive oil and nuts help? 

Extra virgin olive oil and nuts contain compounds called polyphenols. These substances help to soothe inflammation and oxidation, which are harmful to blood vessels and brain. This may explain why diets rich in polyphenols appear to prevent heart disease and cognitive problems associated with age, says Dr. Olivia Okereke, assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. His research focuses on the lifestyle factors that contribute to cognitive decline in the elderly.

Researchers ties between the circulatory system and the ever popular mind. "It makes sense because the brain is a lack of organ oxygen. You need healthy blood vessels in a healthy brain," said Dr. Okereke. 

The new results are consistent with previous studies showing that people who closely follow the Mediterranean diet are more likely to maintain their memory and thinking skills over time. Even so, the authors and other experts agree that further investigation is warranted. Dr. Okereke is curious to what appears to be the different effects of olive oil and nuts. "It would be great if future studies of this kind could be linked to brain imaging to see how and where these foods cause specific changes in cognitive performance observed in the study," she said.

To date, no evidence of a decline in eating olive oil, nuts, or a full Mediterranean diet, unless you end up taking in more calories than you need and gain weight . So I will continue to enjoy my salads and eager to learn about - and I remember - new research on the Mediterranean diet in the future.