Eating a Mediterranean-style diet could beat the effect of ageing on the brain and, better still, keep brain pathology at bay. A study carried out at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, found that a Mediterranean diet, comprising lots of fresh fruits, salads, olive oil and the occasional drink, slowed the loss of brain volume usually associated with ageing. And individuals who love fried food, red meat and cheese are more prone to developing Alzheimer’s and some types of dementia. Researchers studied the MRIs of 400 Edinburgh residents age d 70 to 76 over three years, to see how their brains changed as they moved from middle age to early old age. The MRIs showed that those who consumed a Mediterranean-style diet had half the rate of brain shrinkage compared to the others. The study was published in journal Neurology.

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Featured in Harmony — Celebrate Age Magazine
June 2017