November 04, 2015

Eating Mediterranean Foods Could Prolong A Healthy Brain For 5 Extra Years


                                                                   





This is something that most British celebrity chefs like James Martin, Rick Stein, Jamie Oliver and others have discovered for themselves, certainly the longevity that this diet seems to encourage.

All countries in the north  and south of the Mediterranean have similarities.


Suits me, but I will pass on the octopus! Some ideas below:



                                                           

                                                                     

People know they should eat healthy foods if they want to maintain their bodies into old age, but a lot of the time we’re likely to focus on the health of the major organs that occupy our torso. 


However, a new study looking at the diets of elderly people says we can enjoy greater longevity if we eat foods that are good for our brain, and suggests that those who follow a Mediterranean-like diet – consisting of more fish and vegetables, along with less meat and dairy – may lose fewer brains cells due to ageing.


"These results are exciting, as they raise the possibility that people may potentially prevent brain shrinking and the effects of ageing on the brain simply by following a healthy diet,” said Yian Gu of Columbia University in the US. 


Gu and her colleagues examined the diets of 674 people who were older than 80 years of age and did not have dementia. The participants completed questionnaires about the food they ate and had their brains scanned afterwards. 


The researchers divided the participants into two separate groups depending on the content of their diet. One group contained people who followed Mediterranean diet principles in at least five food components – including greater amounts of healthy foods or less consumption of unhealthy foods. The other group contained those who did not eat a Mediterranean-like diet. 


When the researchers compared the two sets of brain scans, they found that the people who followed a Mediterranean-style diet had a total brain volume that was 13.11 millilitres larger than those in the other group. Their grey matter volume was 5 ml larger, and white matter volume was 6.41 ml larger. 


It might not sound like much, but in terms of brain longevity, Gu says the difference is significant. "The magnitude of the association with brain measures was relatively small, but when you consider that eating at least five of the recommended Mediterranean diet components has an association comparable to five years of ageing, that is substantial,” she said


It’s important to note that the researchers aren’t claiming that the Mediterranean diet is responsible for the greater brain volume – just that there’s an association going on here that they still need to get the bottom of. In any case, it’s definitely food for thought. (Sorry.) 


The findings are published in Neurology.

By Peter Dockrill 

With many thanks to
Science Alert



Some related posts:

Jamie Oliver: How Being A Special-needs Student Changed My Life
How Non-French Chefs Are Saving French Food
Britain Is A Nation Of Skilled Chefs But 1 in 10 Can't Cook, BBC Good Food Survey Finds
Manuka Honey - The Only Healthy Honey
Sri Lanka’s Sirilak Garden: History And Spices
A Japanese Company Is Building The World's First Autonomous Farm
Julia Child’s French Cooking Book Was A Trail Blazer