Meals inspired by traditional foods from the sunny Mediterranean, a new study found, may lower your risk for dementia by interfering with the buildup of two proteins, amyloid and tau, into the plaques and tangles that are hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease.
“The mountain of evidence continues to build that you are what you eat when it comes to brain health,” said Dr. Richard Isaacson, who directs the Alzheimer’s Prevention Clinic at Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital… “For every point of higher compliance with the diet, people had one extra year less of brain aging. That is striking.”
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The true diet is simple, plant-based cooking, with the majority of each meal focused on fruits and vegetables, whole grains, beans and seeds, with a few nuts and a heavy emphasis on extra-virgin olive oil.
Adopting the fare of the sunny region will also help with healthy weight loss, while reducing the risk for diabetes, depression, high cholesterol, heart disease, stroke and some cancers.
Easing into the Mediterranean diet means all those benefits and a healthier mind, too? That’s definitely a no-brainer!
