Eat Mediterranean for Your Mind

By: Allison Stevens for Body1

There is now more evidence that eating a Mediterranean-like diet may improve your health; but, this time research shows this diet may enhance your mental health. This promising research comes from Dr. Nikolaos Scarmeas and colleagues at Columbia University Medical Center in New York, who have published two studies indicating that a Mediterranean diet may help in the prevention of Alzheimer’s disease.

Take Action

A Mediterranean Diet In this study, a Mediterranean diet included: More fruits and vegetables More legumes and grains More fish Less meat and dairy, and a Moderate amount of alcohol Following is a sample day’s menu that fits into the Mediterranean diet pattern outlined in the Scarmeas study: Breakfast: Oatmeal with banana and almonds Lunch:Bean and kale vegetable soup, whole grain bread roll Snack: Yogurt sprinkled with fresh berries Dinner: Grilled tuna, whole wheat couscous, steamed carrots, glass of pinot grigio

The first study, published in the June 2006 Annals of Neurology, initially assessed the dietary habits of ethnically diverse, non-demented study participants, grouping the subjects according to how closely they followed a Mediterranean-style diet. The participants were then followed for an average of four years.

Researchers found that of the 2,258 participants, those most closely following a “Mediterranean diet” were 40 percent less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease at follow-up than those not closely following the diet pattern.

For this study, a “Mediterranean diet” was defined as a pattern of food choices that closely resembles the habits of those living in Greece, Italy, and France. Researchers determined that participants who included more fruits, vegetables, legumes, cereals, and fish than the average participant were considered a part of the “Mediterranean diet” group. The Mediterranean diet pattern also included a moderate intake of alcohol, but a lower meat and dairy intake.

In a second study published in the December 2006 Archives of Neurology, Scarmeas and colleagues compared the dietary habits of 194 subjects already diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease to 1,790 subjects without the disease. The results confirmed those from the first study, finding that those who most closely followed the Mediterranean diet (which was defined the same as in the previous study) were 68 percent less likely to have Alzheimer’s disease than those not closely following the diet pattern.

There is no cure for Alzheimer’s disease, and with as many as 4.5 million Americans suffering from the disease, factors that may prevent or slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease continue to be a hot topic.

Although there is no single known cause, age is one commonly known risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease. While only five percent of men and women ages 65 to 74 have Alzheimer’s disease, nearly half of those age 85 and older may have the disease, according to the National Institute on Aging. However, Alzheimer’s disease is not a normal part of aging.

Results from these studies indicate that diet may in fact play a role in the development of Alzheimer’s disease. But, because these preliminary results need to be replicated in further research, including clinical trials, lead researcher Dr. Scarmeas states, “it is a little bit early to recommend this diet to people for neurological problems like Alzheimer’s disease.”

However, he is quick to point out that there are “well documented benefits of this diet for a series of other medical conditions and diseases like high blood pressure, cholesterol levels, diabetes, heart disease, overall mortality and so forth. There doesn’t seem to be any downside for following this diet, which may protect from neurological diseases as we have demonstrated.”

Last updated: 12-Mar-07