Your Brain Loves the Mediterranean

By Editorial Staff

The Mediterranean diet, that is! Research links this diet with better thinking skills later in life – and isn't that something worth changing your eating habits for? Let's look at the key components of the Mediterranean diet and what the latest study says about how it impacts seniors' thinking abilities.

What Is the Mediterranean Diet?

If you think adhering to any diet is impossible in your "world," think again. Daily consumption of vegetables, fruits, whole grains and healthy fats; weekly intake of fish, poultry, beans and eggs; moderate intake of dairy products; and limited intake of red meat - that's not so difficult, right? (Source: May Clinic)

What Does the Latest Research Say?

Published in Experimental Gerontology, the study suggests that . Among elderly adults (average age: 79 years), closer adherence to the Mediterranean diet (particularly higher intake of green leafy vegetables and low intake of red meat) correlated with higher scores on cognitive function tests compared to seniors whose diet had fewer or no features of the Mediterranean diet.

What Should I Do Now?

If you're already eating along the lines of the Mediterranean diet, keep it up! If you're not and think it could be a challenge, start slowly. Change one dietary habit (for example, eat more fish and less red meat) and gradually add more items from the diet over time. Before you know it, you'll be setting sail to the Mediterranean full time – and your brain will thank you for it. Talk to your doctor for more information.