Mediterranean diet prevents brain atrophy, study finds

Western Europeans traditionally follow two nutritional Schools of thought towards diet, one is the Northern and the other is Southern European dieting habits. Mediterranean diet defines the eating habits of Crete, Southern Italy and Greece of Southern Europe where Spain, Portugal and southern France also follow the approach of Mediterranean diet.

What food defines the Mediterranean diet? The question is answered by Medical News Today. This diet include fresh food, fruit, plant food, oil, Dairy products and highly nutritional and balanced food disciplines.

According to recent study published in Neurology, the Medical Journal of the American Academy of Neurology, the Mediterranean diet is found extremely authentic in promoting the cardiovascular metabolism. Mediterranean diet promotes resistance against Diabetes, Obesity and over weighing. Another study reveals that Mediterranean diet prevents the risk of premature death.

Researchers headed by Michelle Lauciano from the University of Edinburg in Scotland discovered that Mediterranean diet produces resistance against dementia. Dr. Michelle says "as we age, the brain shrinks and we lose the brain cells which can affect learning and memory".

Telegraph reports that Mediterranean diet prevent brain shrinking in old age. Healthy food is proven important for healthy brain by this recent research. In the study, scientists gathered information of dietary habits of 967 people between 73 and 76 years of ages. All the volunteers belonged to Scotland and was found that all of them did not have dementia in the last three years. Then they were asked to fill in a questionnaire about their dietary habits when they were 70. A magnetic resonance imaging brain scan was conducted of the volunteers to measure total brain volume at the age of 73. Among them, 401 people were chosen for a second brain scan at the age of 76. Their dietary habits were recorded using their dietary frequency through a questionnaire. And then the measurements were compared. Poor dietary habit resulted in 0.5 percent greater reduction in the size of the brain. While those who followed dietary codes were found comparatively healthy. Contrary to previous studies, this research found no relation between brain health and meat and fish.

This study also proved that instead of frozen at a fixed volume, the brain size keep changing with age and other factors.