A new study found that the Mediterranean diet reduces symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease in the brain.
network quotesCNNIn a report that eating meals from the vegetarian Middle Eastern diet, in addition to the “MIND” diet designed to preserve memory, reduces the sticky beta-amyloid plaques and tau tangles in the brain, which cause Alzheimer’s.
According to the report, people who followed these diets had “almost 40 percent lower odds” of having enough plaques and tangles in brain tissue upon autopsy to diagnose Alzheimer’s disease, according to the study.
“Simple dietary modification, such as adding more vegetables, berries, whole grains, olive oil and fish, can delay the onset of Alzheimer’s disease or reduce the risk of dementia in adulthood,” said study author Pooja Agarwal, assistant professor of internal medicine at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. “.
She said the biggest benefit came from vegetables, however, adding more berries, whole grains and other healthy foods recommended by the diets was also beneficial.
“While this study does not conclusively prove that it is possible to slow brain aging through dietary choices, Alzheimer’s researcher Dr. Richard Isaacson, MD, a preventive neurologist at the Institute of Neurodegenerative Diseases in Florida, who was not involved in the new study, said. The data is compelling enough for me to add green leafy vegetables to most meals.”
Of course, the Mediterranean diet is also heart healthy by reducing the risk of stroke and neurovascular injury which can also increase the risk of stroke, said Rudy Tanzi, a professor of neurology at Harvard Medical School, who was not involved in the study. diseases of Alzheimer’s disease.
“What’s good for the heart is good for the brain,” said Tanzi, who is also director of the Geriatrics and Genetics Research Unit at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.
The Mediterranean diet focuses on vegetarian cooking, and every meal includes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans and seeds, along with a few nuts. There is a lot of focus on extra virgin olive oil.”
Diets may include eggs, dairy products and poultry, but at much lower rates when compared to the traditional Western diet.