At this point you have heard of the Mediterranean diet. The popular eating style is rich in brain foods such as leafy vegetables and fish and contains less poultry and red meat than a typical Western diet.
It is not surprising that research on the Mediterranean diet has a number of health benefits. A recent study, published in Experimental Gerontology, found that daily consumption of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), an essential part of the Mediterranean diet, may be the key to helping the body fight Alzheimer’s.
Researchers noted that participants in the study with mild cognitive impairment reduced the markers of Alzheimer’s after their EVOO was administered regularly. The reason? This probably had to do with the antioxidant properties of the oil.
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“If we look at the brain of someone with Alzheimer’s under the microscope, we can see abnormal accumulations of two key proteins – amyloid beta and tau,” says Carolyn Fredericks, MD, a neurologist at Yale Medicine who specializes in Alzheimer’s disease. “We know that oxidative stress can cause these proteins to accumulate faster, so it makes sense that antioxidants, which reduce the impact of oxidative stress, can help slow down this process.”
This clinical trial involved 84 participants, which may be promising, but may not be enough to determine whether olive oil alone can help prevent neurodegenerative disorders.
“I think we should wait for large, randomized controlled trials to be sure that any individual food or food component can prevent or fight neurodegeneration,” explains Dr. Fredericks. However, she points out that larger studies has showed us that the Mediterranean diet as a whole can reduce the cognitive decline associated with aging. And while it’s not yet clear if and how olive oil protects our brain health, this new research is still promising.
“Smaller studies like this are exciting because it gives us more information about specific nutrients,” says Fredericks. A caveat here is that if we try to look at specific nutrients or components of the Mediterranean diet to see if it in itself can reduce the risk of memory loss, we have generally not found convincing results. studies of omega-3 consumption, vitamin E and others have shown no effect in large studies. ‘
Because it is difficult to say how specific components of the diet affect our brain health, it may be best to make sure that you incorporate all aspects of the Mediterranean diet instead of just concentrating on one.
“My best advice to patients at this stage is that following a Mediterranean diet in a more holistic way is best to prevent cognitive decline, and that the benefits seem to be related to the whole food and the combination of the whole food. in this diet, rather than any specific nutrient that we can isolate and put in a capsule, “says Fredericks.
For more information, check out The Unexpected Way Your Brain Can Make You Eat Too Much, says Research, and then do not miss 15 best Mediterranean diet recipes for inspiration on how to get started!