The Mediterranean diet can do wonders for memory retention skills
The Mediterranean diet has long been creating ripples in the food and nutrition circuit for its healthy nutritive value. As the name suggests, this popular diet is typically followed in the Mediterranean countries, inspired by the healthy dietary patterns of Greece, Southern Italy and Spain. Turns out that going high on the diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, protein rich legumes, potatoes, nuts, fish and plant-based foods can do wonders for your memory retention skills especially in the old age, as per a new study.
The research published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society revealed that older people who ate a Mediterranean-style diet had 35 percent lower risk of scoring poorly on cognitive tests. Even those who were on a moderate Mediterranean-style diet performed pretty well, and had 15 percent lower risk of doing poorly on cognitive tests as compared to those who did not.
The researchers said, that following Mediterranean and MIND-style diets can be linked to better overall cognitive function in older adults. The MIND diet is a version of the Mediterranean diet that includes 15 types of foods. 10 of them are called "brain-healthy": green leafy vegetables, other vegetables, nuts, berries, beans, whole grains, seafood, poultry, olive oil, and wine. Five are considered unhealthy: red meat, butter and stick margarine, cheese, pastries, sweets and fried/fast foods.
For the study, researchers examined data retrieved from 5,907 older adults who participated in the Health and Retirement Study. The participants were told to fill questionnaires about their eating habits. Next, the team measured the participants' cognitive abilities - mostly their memory and attention skills.
It was found that older people who closely followed the Mediterranean and MIND-style diets scored significantly better on the cognitive function tests than those who ate lesser healthy variants. Researches also noted that the diet could also be linked to lower risks for having cognitive impairment in later stages of life.
Falafel, hummus, Mediterranean pita wrap and sandwich, Mediterranean veggies and chicpea salad, Greek chicken salad are some of the most relished Mediterranean delights savoured across the world. There are options galore. Take your pick and enjoy the healthy and nutritive goodness.