This diet can improve memory, reduce dementia risk and boost cognitive flexibility

While the benefits of following a Mediterranean diet are well established, a new study suggests that the fresh-forward, olive oil-soaked eating style can boost brain health by promoting certain gut bacteria.Researchers at Tulane University School of Medicine found that lab rats who followed a Mediterranean diet developed different gut bacteria patterns than those who adhered to a Western diet.

The study, published in Gut Microbes Reports, found that the bacterial changes associated with the Med diet led to improved cognitive performance. “We’ve known that what we eat affects brain function, but this study explores how that could be happening,” lead author Rebecca Solch-Ottaiano, Ph.D., a neurology research instructor at Tulane’s Clinical Neuroscience Research Center, said.“Our findings suggest that dietary choices can influence cognitive performance by reshaping the gut microbiome.”The Mediterranean diet, crowned the best overall for eight years running by US News & World Report, is a plant-based diet that prioritizes vegetables, fruits, whole grains, healthy fats, nuts and seeds while limiting red meat and sugar.The Mediterranean diet has been shown to aid weight loss, improve blood sugar and lower blood pressure and cholesterol.

It’s also been linked to a lower risk of heart disease, stroke, dementia and certain types of cancer.This latest Tulane study is the first to investigate the relationship between Mediterranean and Western diets, microbiota and cognitive function.To model the effects of diet during a critical period of development, researchers recruited rats equivalent to 18-year-old humans.

The researchers found that rats who were fed a Mediterranean diet, complete with a high intake of olive oil, fish and fiber, showed a marked increase in beneficial gut bacteria compared to those who consumed a high-fat, low-veg, meat-heavy Western diet.Subscribe to our weekly Post Care newsletter! Please provide ...