Keeping Your Memory Sharp With The Mediterranean Diet

If you still have no idea what your New Year’s resolution is going to be, here’s something that might point you in the right direction: The Mediterranean Diet.

More and more research is showing that following the Mediterranean Diet will go a long way to protect your health against infections and disease.

A big difference

A recent study featured in Frontiers in Nutrition analysed the results of nearly 20 different studies published in the last 15 years, all focusing on the effects of the Mediterranean diet on cognitive health.

The verdict?

Following a Mediterranean-style Diet was strongly associated with better brain function across the globe. The researchers noted improvements in attention, language, and memory regardless of where subjects lived. And regardless of how old they were.

Memory, in particular, was positively affected by the Mediterranean Diet including improvements in delayed recognition, long-term and working memory, executive function, and visual constructs. And these memory-boosting benefits were not exclusive to older individuals. Two of the included studies focused on younger adults and both found improvements in cognition using computerised assessments.

According to the lead researcher of the study, Roy Hardman from the Centre for Human Psychopharmacology at Swinburne University of Technology in Australia, the benefits of following a Mediterranean Diet include “reducing inflammatory responses, increasing micronutrients, improving vitamin and mineral imbalances, changing lipid profiles by using olive oils as the main source of dietary fats, maintaining weight and potentially reducing obesity, improving polyphenols in the blood, improving cellular energy metabolism and maybe changing the gut micro-biota, although this has not been examined to a larger extent yet”.

Now that’s a mouthful!

Here at The Daily Health we’ve written a lot about the potential health benefits of following a Mediterranean Diet ranging from helping to reduce the risk of breast cancer to potentially protecting against cardiovascular disease.

So, if you want to improve your overall health this year, why not focus on following Mediterranean Diet that consists of fresh, whole foods, lean protein, lots of fish, fresh vegetables, and healthy fats like olive oil.

It’s a delicious and simple way to do your brain — and the rest of your body — a very big favour.

---

Disclaimer: Bear in mind the material contained in this article is provided for information purposes only. We are not addressing anyone’s personal situation. Please consult with your own physician before acting on any recommendations contained herein.

---

Sources:

Want a better memory? Try eating a Mediterranean diet, published online 09.08.16, sciencedaily.com