Brain Food
Emily Moore
Eat Mediterranean diet for healthier and younger brain
Not only is this type of diet loaded with omega-3 (which is known to be brain fuel), research says that lowering the amount of sugar and cholesterol can improve the functioning of your brain and prolong its inevitable deterioration (Christensen, 2015).
In a study published by Nueurology, subject's diet's were tracked closely and MRIs were done to see if there was a relationship between what a person eats and the way their brain ages. The study found that even slight adherence to the Mediterranean diet, the brains of the elderly subjects maintained density that is typically compromised as they age (Gu, 2015).
The Science to Back It Up
The study cited in the CNN article used MRI's and food surveys to understand the relationship between what you eat and how the brain ages in elderly people (Gu, 2015).
What Are They Measuring?
The Results
The study followed 674 men and women from different ethnic backgrounds whose average age was 80.1. They used food frequency questionnaires to see how closely each participant was following the Mediterranean diet. They used that data compared to MRI scans and found that there is a direct relationship to adherence to this type of diet and the health of the brain. The more closely they stick with the diet, the better their brains looked on the scan (Gu, 2015).
The study was done in a scientific manner by a team of qualified researchers and results were reported unbiased and matter of fact. CNN reported these findings in a way that wouldn't require much research to verify its authenticity. The results weren't sugar coated or misleading. I feel as if everyone who had a part in conducting the study and relaying it to the general population held up their duty to responsible reporting and research.
Citations
Christensen, J. (2015, December 29). Eat Mediterranean diet for a healthier and younger brain. Retrieved April 8, 2016, from http://www.cnn.com/2015/10/21/health/mediterranean-diet-healthier-brain/
Gu, Y. et.al (2015). Mediterranean diet and brain structure in a multiethnic elderly cohort [Abstract]. Neurology, 85, 1744-1751. Retrieved April 8, 2016, from http://www.neurology.org/content/85/20/1744