Mediterranean diet and Cognition

2014-01-31 16:20:16

A Mediterranean diet pattern (rich in fruit, vegetables, whole grains, Omega-3 and -9 containing plant oils such as olive/flax/canola, fish, and low in trans fat, saturated fat, and red meat) has been reproducibly shown to achieve a long list of important health benefits, most importantly benefit to cardiovascular health, including reduced risk of death from sudden heart attack, and reduced risk of developing cardiovascular disease.⁽¹⁾Recently, a group of researchers assigned 522 individuals at high risk for cognitive decline to a contemporary low- fat diet or a Mediterranean diet rich in olive oil and nuts and followed them for 6.5 years. Participants assigned to the Mediterranean diet showed highly significant improvements to several markers of cognition and mental health. ⁽²⁾