Exciting News about diet and your brain

A recent article published in BMC Medicine discussing the importance of eating a Mediterranean style diet in order to lower one’s risk of developing dementia. Dementia is a global health crisis, with an enormous cost burden on the healthcare delivery system, on caregivers, family and friends. Finding risk factors that can be both identified and modified would have a tremendous impact on developing personalized plans for prevention of Alzheimer’s disease and other mental health conditions. One such risk factor is diet and it has been proposed in various studies to be a major area to address when attempting to lower the incidence of many chronic health conditions.

One such diet is the Mediterranean diet(MedDiet). Recent studies have shown that this type of diet may mitigate individual risk for dementia. The MedDiet is based upon eating foods that are consumed in Greece, Italy and other countries in this region.

Plant based foods, such as whole grains, vegetables, legumes, fruits, nuts, seeds, herbs and spices are the foundation of the diet. The major source of fat is olive oil and fish, seafood, dairy and poultry are eaten in moderation. Red meat and sweets are only eaten occasionally.

As previously stated, olive oil is the primary source of added fat. Olive oil contains monounsaturated fat which has been shown to lower total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol as well. Fatty fish such as tuna, salmon, mackerel and herring are all high in omega-3 fatty acids which not only help fight off inflammation but also play an important role in the reduction of stroke and keeping your brain functioning optimally.

So, making simple dietary and lifestyle changes such as getting adequate sleep, reduce levels of stress, exercise and meditation can have a profound impact on your health and wellbeing.