Mediterranean memory

A Mediterranean style diet can help maintain your memory and cognitive function.

Memories can be anything from “misty and water-coloured” to “golden” but whatever hue your memories may be you want to keep them. “Memory” is a term that we use colloquially to represent our cognitive function (because saying, “Oh, my cognitive function just isn’t what it used to be” doesn’t flow well in conversation) and as you age you want your mental faculties to be as sharp as they can be. With that in mind your diet is important and according to a new study you want it to be as “Mediterranean” as possible.

A Mediterranean style of eating is one that features mainly plant foods including leafy greens, fresh fruit, fresh vegetables, whole grains, beans, seeds, nuts and legumes. In the Mediterranean diet there is minimal red meat, olive oil is the main source of fat, and alcohol is consumed moderately (and is usually wine).

The aim of the new study was to see how a Mediterranean diet impacts cognitive function is you age. To do this researchers from Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne evaluated available studies published between 2000 and 2015 on the subject. Of the 135 studies found, 18 met the quality criteria set by the researchers.

The accumulated results of these 18 studies showed that the positive effects of the Mediterranean style diet were experienced all around the world, not just in countries of the Mediterranean region. Specifically the results showed that a Mediterranean style of eating was associated with improved memory, attention, and language as people age. Memory was especially positively affected with improvements in delayed recognition, working memory, long-term memory, executive function, and visual constructs.

The reasons that the Mediterranean diet has these effects is that it reduces inflammation, increases vitamins and minerals, maintains healthy weight, increases antioxidants in the blood, enhances energy metabolism, supports a healthy gut flora, and provides healthy fats.

On top of everything else, while these benefits did apply as people aged, two of the studies showed that the same benefits apply between the ages of 20 and 30. It seems there is no age too early to begin eating in a Mediterranean style.

Source: Frontiers in Nutrition