Study reveals positive effects of Mediterranean diet on brain health

The latest findings suggest that this primarily plant-based diet may have benefits for cognitive functioning as we get older

A recent study by the University of Edinburgh has shown that people who eat a Mediterranean-style diet—particularly one rich in green leafy vegetables and low in meat—are more likely to stay mentally sharp in later life.

Closely adhering to a Mediterranean diet was associated with higher scores on a range of memory and thinking tests among adults in their late 70s, the research found.

The study found no link, however, between the Mediterranean-style diet and better brain health.

Markers of healthy brain aging – such as greater grey or white matter volume, or fewer white matter lesions—did not differ between those regularly eating a Mediterranean diet and those who did not.

Brain aging

These latest findings suggest that this primarily plant-based diet may have benefits for cognitive functioning as we get older, researchers say.

Researchers at the University of Edinburgh tested the thinking skills of more than 500 people aged 79 and without dementia.

The participants completed tests of problem-solving, thinking speed, memory, and word knowledge, as well as a questionnaire about their eating habits during the previous year.

MRI scanning

More than 350 of the group also underwent a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain scan to gain insights into their brain structure.

The team used statistical models to look for associations between a person’s diet and their thinking skills and brain health in later life.

The findings show that, in general, people who most closely adhered to a Mediterranean diet had the highest cognitive function scores, even when accounting for childhood IQ, smoking, physical activity, and health factors. The differences were small but statistically significant.