Researchers have discovered that the Mediterranean diet may benefit individuals in terms of their cognitive function and brain size by making their brains healthier and younger and preventing them from shrinking despite aging.

Past studies have demonstrated a link between the Mediterranean diet and a decreased risk of developing Alzheimer's disease and other degenerative brain disorders.

In the new study, the researchers targeted older adults without cognitive impairments to determine whether or not their diet may also be associated with the loss of fewer neurons or brain cells because of aging.

The researchers aimed to test if the increased intake of food included in a Mediterranean diet is linked with having a large brain volume or thick cortices, as measured through magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

To perform the study, the authors collated MRI scans of 674 elderly subjects who joined a community-based cohort involving various ethnicities. These participants, all of whom do not have dementia, had a mean age of 80.1 years old. They also answered a questionnaire about their diet.

After the collection of data, the researchers analyzed the relationship of the Mediterranean diet and each food group with the brain sizes obtained via MRI. They utilized a regression model adapted for body mass index, diabetes, cognition, education and demographic data such as sex, age and ethnicity.

The findings showed that the participants who were not on the Mediterranean diet had lower brain volumes compared to those who were, thereby suggesting that the Mediterranean diet may help prevent the brain from shrinking over time. The discrepancy is equivalent to approximately five years of aging.

Yian Gu, lead author of the research from Columbia University, said that the team was able to determine a link between higher adherance to the Mediterranean diet and improved brain measurements.

"These results are exciting, as they raise the possibility that people may potentially prevent brain shrinking and the effects of aging on the brain simply by following a healthy diet," said Gu.

Gu said the precise reason as to why the Mediterranean diet appears to be healthier for the brain has not been identified by scientists. However, other studies have confirmed that the increased consumption of vegetables and fish and the decreased intake of meat are helpful to the growth of brain cells.

"Higher fish and lower meat intake might be the two key food elements that contribute to the benefits of MeDi (Mediterranean diet) on brain structure," the authors concluded.

The study was published in the journal Neurology on Wednesday, Oct. 21.

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