A Mediterranean diet featuring lots of olives and nuts has been shown to have health benefits before, but a new study shows the dietary choice may be better for brains as well. The foods, including olive oils and nuts, could help older adults retain their memories, new research out of Spain concludes.
Researchers examined 447 senior adults, who were provided with one of three dietary recommendations. The subjects were near 67 years old and not obese, although many were overweight or exhibited high blood pressure and/or cholesterol.
"This small study found that a Mediterranean diet, which is low in animal foods like meat and butter and high in vegetables, legumes and whole grains, when supplemented with olive oil or nuts, is associated with improved cognitive function," said Samantha Heller, a nutritionist at New York University's Center for Musculoskeletal Care and Sports Performance.
One group was advised to eat a low-fat diet, a second part of the subjects was told to eat a Mediterranean diet plus a little over an ounce of nuts each day, while the rest were directed to consume a Mediterranean diet plus a liter of extra virgin olive oil each week.
Each of the patients in the study were provided with cognitive function tests at the beginning of the study, and roughly two-thirds of the participants (334) also took the test at the end of four years to access the results of their dietary choices.
Researchers found that patients on low-fat diets saw the greatest declines in memory and other brain functions. The group that consumed a Mediterranean diet plus olive oil experienced superior cognitive abilities than the other patients, while additional memory appeared to be correlated with food choices including nuts.
Previous research has indicated that such a diet can reduce the risk of some cancers as well as cardiac conditions and Alzheimer's disease. However, some researchers have questioned whether the apparent correlation was an example of cause-and-effect, or if people who eat a Mediterranean diet also engage in other healthy lifestyle choices.
Conclusions of this new research are not definitive, as the sample size of subjects in the study was small. Just 37 people in the study were diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment, and diet did not seem to play a significant role in the onset of that condition.
The study suggests, though, that seniors may be able to reduce decline of cognitive functions by eating a Mediterranean diet rich in nuts and olive oil.
Analysis of a possible correlation between Mediterranean diets and age-related cognitive decline was profiled in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine.
Photo: Kai Hendry | Flickr
