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What diet is best for brain health?

New research has found a Mediterranean diet can help improve cognitive function. Photo: Getty

If there’s one diet that should win the gold medal, it’s the modern Mediterranean Diet.

We know that it’s good for heart health, longevity and reducing the risk of chronic illnesses such as type-2 diabetes, and now there’s evidence it’s good for your brain, too.

In a study published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine, Spanish researchers conducted a study on 446 participants aged 55 to 80 to determine whether changing their diet would affect cognitive performance.

All volunteers were healthy but at a higher risk of developing heart-related health problems. Participants were assigned to follow either a Mediterranean diet supplemented with one litre of olive oil a week; a Mediterranean diet supplemented with 30 grams of nuts per day; or a low-fat diet. Researchers performed brain functioning tests on participants at the beginning and end of the four-year study period.

The results revealed that both Mediterranean diet groups showed greater improvements than those who followed a low-fat diet. Supplementing diets with olive oil showed better memory scores while eating more nuts revealed greater executive function skills. At the other end of the spectrum, a low-fat diet actually showed a decline in cognitive function.

It’s the latest in a series of studies that connects the antioxidant-rich Mediterranean diet with improved brain function. However, even if you have been following a low-fat diet, study authors say there’s still time to change your health. “It’s never too late to change your dietary patterns to improve your health,” said lead study author Dr Emilio Ros.

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For Ros, the results are especially promising because study participants were at a higher risk of developing cognitive issues due to their heart risk-factors, which can increase the risk of stroke and interrupt blood flor to the brain. “If you intervene with a healthy dietary pattern in people who are at risk of cognitive failure, even in people who still haven’t had any memory complaints or loss of cognitive function, you can prevent cognitive deterioration.”

The results are promising, however Ros has said more work is needed, although he believes making small lifestyle changes can make all the difference. “I think these results contribute to our understanding of healthy ageing,” he said. “With a change in lifestyle as simple making some healthy choices in your food, it can make a difference.”

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