New Dietary Revelations for Brain Health

New Dietary Revelations for Brain Health

New research indicates that a Mediterranean diet can help reduce shrinkage of the brain with age.

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Multispecialty healthcare centers in Brooklyn, NYC provide customized neurology care. Using www.hqbk.com(718) 769advanced resources and techniques, the neurologists in these centers work with other healthcare 2521 professionals to provide safe and effective treatment and suggest suitable lifestyle changes. Now research indicates that a healthier diet can contribute to a healthier brain.

New research has indicated that following a Mediterranean diet may be highly beneficial for brain health in the elderly. That means this lifestyle change can ensure the brain stays fit. The study dealt with preserving as much of brain size as possible through the aging process. The brain shrinks as a person ages and this can cause diseases like dementia. The team found that a Mediterranean diet could reduce the risks of brain shrinkage.

Research Reveals Effects of Mediterranean Diet The Mediterranean diet has been known to be healthy for the heart, but now research by the University of Edinburgh seems to indicate that it contributes to brain health as well. The research involved 967 Scottish participants from 73 to 76 years of age who were not suffering from dementia.

Over half of them - 562 participants - underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at age 73. The MRI had measured overall volume, cortical thickness and grey matter of the brain. After three years, 401 participants returned for follow-up measurements.

While factors affecting brain volume such as hypertension, diabetes, age and education level were analyzed, better measurements were also associated with a Mediterranean diet. Aging had the greatest effect on the loss of brain volume, but the participants who followed a Mediterranean diet had only half the volume loss as the others who were on a more typical Scottish diet involving red meat, cheese and fried food.

Elements of Mediterranean Diet Contributing to Brain Health The researchers were not able to specifically link the intake of meat or fish in the Mediterranean diet with preserving brain volume. However, they believe that it’s the overall diet that contributes to brain health, particularly intake of fresh vegetables, olive oil and fruits. Other items that have a beneficial effect on the brain include hummus and pasta. The various fresh vegan elements in the Mediterranean diet could combine to protect against conditions such as vascular disease and inflammation that lead to loss of brain volume. The team did not find any evidence fish or meat intake could preserve brain volume.

Why is brain size so important? It gives the individual greater resistance to brain diseases in later life. So the findings of this study research are quite significant, though a bit inconsistent with earlier studies with regard to fish intake. But what was clear to the researchers was that lower adherence to a Mediterranean diet with fresh vegetables, fruits and olive oil seem to be linked with less reduction in brain volume over a three-year period. www.hqbk.com