14 DAY TRIAL // According to the conclusions of a new scientific investigation, it would appear that people who are using a Mediterranean diet are more likely to experience a slower rate of cognitive decline than people who are not on this type of diet.
The health benefits of these diets has been on everybody's lips for many years, but thus far researchers failed to make any connections between it and the evolution of cognitive decline in seniors.
A rich intake of vegetables, fish, and olive oil is the main characteristic of a Mediterranean diet, as are the moderate consumption of wine and other types of alcohol. Leading a lifestyle based on this principles reduces or entirely eliminates the risk factors for a lot of diseases.
For the new research, more than 3,800 seniors from the South Side of Chicago were analyzed by a team of experts at the Rush University Medical Center. All of the participants were a part of the Chicago Healthy Aging Project (CHAP).
The CHAP is an ongoing evaluation of cognitive health, that researchers are conducting in adults over the age of 65. A detailed analysis of the results obtained during the new study appears in the latest issue of the esteemed American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Given that this is a long-term study, all participants are studied once every three years or so, when they are asked to take tests assessing their memory and basic math skills, among other things.
At the same time, the test subjects were given questionnaires in which experts asked them about how often or not they consumed about 139 food items, including among others alcohol, olive oil, red meat, cereals, and so on.
“The more we can incorporate vegetables, olive oil, and fish into our diets and moderate wine consumption, the better for our aging brains and bodies,” explains scientist Christy Tangney, PhD.
The expert is the lead author of the new study, and he also holds an appointment as an associate professor of clinical nutrition at the Rush University.
He adds that previous investigations have determined that resorting to a Mediterranean diet helps reduce the risk of heart disease, certain cancers and diabetes, PsychCentral reports.
During the new investigation, it was made obvious that people who consumed more items on the Mediterranean diet list more often were experiencing much slowed cognitive decline than their peers who were eating regular food.