Following a Mediterranean Diet rich in fish, vegetables, and extra virgin olive oil can protect the brain from protein buildup and shrinkage that can lead to Alzheimer's disease, according to a new study published in the online edition of Neurology, the journal American Academy of Neurology.
The study looked at abnormal proteins called amyloid and tau. Amyloid is a protein that forms in plaques, while tau is a protein that forms in tangles. Both are found in the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease, but they can also be found in the brains of older people with normal cognition.
The Mediterranean Diet includes a high intake of vegetables, legumes, fruits, cereals, fish and monounsaturated fatty acids such as extra virgin olive oil, and a low intake of saturated fatty acids, dairy and meat.
"Our study suggests that eating a diet high in unsaturated fats, fish, fruits and vegetables, and low in dairy and red meat can actually protect the brain from protein build-up that can lead to memory loss and dementia." , has highlighted the author of the research Tommaso Ballarini, from the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) in Bonn (Germany). According to Ballarini, "these results add to the body of evidence that shows that what you eat can influence memory skills later on."
The study looked at 512 people, 169 of whom were cognitively normal, while 343 were identified as being at increased risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.
The researchers looked at how well they followed the Mediterranean Diet based on their responses to a questionnaire asking how much of 148 foods they had eaten in the previous month. People who often ate healthy foods typical of this eating pattern, such as fish, vegetables and fruits, and who only occasionally ate foods not typical of the Mediterranean Diet, such as red meat, obtained the highest scores, with a maximum score of nine.
Cognitive abilities were assessed with an extensive set of tests for Alzheimer's disease progression that looked at five different functions, including language, memory, and executive function. All participants underwent brain scans to determine their brain volume. Additionally, 226 cerebrospinal fluid was analyzed for amyloid and tau protein biomarkers.
Subsequently, the researchers observed the degree of compliance with the Mediterranean Diet and the relationship with brain volume, tau and amyloid biomarkers, and cognitive abilities.
After adjusting for factors such as age, gender, and education, the researchers found that in the area of the brain most closely associated with Alzheimer's disease, each lowest point people scored on the Mediterranean Diet scale equaled almost one year of brain aging.
When looking at amyloid and tau in people's cerebrospinal fluid, those who did not follow the diet had higher levels of biomarkers of amyloid pathology and tau than those who did.
Likewise, when performing a memory test, people who did not follow the Mediterranean Diet obtained worse scores than those who did.
“More research is needed to show the mechanism by which the Mediterranean Diet protects the brain from protein buildup and loss of brain function, but the findings suggest that people can reduce their risk of developing Alzheimer's by incorporating more elements of this diet in their daily diet ”, said Ballarini.
Source: Mercacei