Mediterranean Diet reduces brain shrinkage.

The colourful Mediterranean Diet (or Rainbow Diet) can reduce brain shrinkage as you age. A study which followed 70 year-old Scottish people for 6 years has found that a low adherence to the colourful Mediterranean Diet results in much greater brain shrinkage.

The group were followed using a dietary notebook, and then scanned using MRI. The brain scans were then matched to the food questionnaire data. Over 1000 people were followed and the measurements were taken in the last 3 years.

Chris Woollams, former Oxford University Biochemist and author of the best-selling book ‘The Rainbow Diet’ said, “What was really interesting was that the findings had no link to fish or meat consumption. The brain protection was almost certainly being driven by the bioactive compounds in the nuts, seeds, olive oil and colourful vegetables and fruits. And, unlike previous studies, which measured a moment in time, the implications of this study were ‘what you eat today, results in this happening three years later’. A lesson for us all, which highlights how we need to get the components of the diet absolutely right”

Ref

Luciano M, Corley J, Cox SR, et al. (Mediterranean-type diet and brain structural change from 73 to 76 years in a Scottish cohort. Neurology. 2017;88(5):449-455).