Join the Mediterranean diet as we age, this appears to reduce the risk of cognitive decline, finds yet another study– according to scientists, it constitutes the strongest evidence of its benefits.

Researchers at the University of Barcelona in Spain followed nearly 850 French citizens over the age of 65 for more than a decade. The participants were fairly evenly split between women and men, and not all had dementia at the start of the study. They monitored a panel of biomarkers, like the healthy omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA, found in foods consumed as part of the diet, every few years and performed five neuropsychological assessments on each participant over the course of the year. ‘study.

Those who followed closely plant-based dietrich in healthy fats – as evidenced by blood test results, not food diaries or questionnaires participants completed – were less likely to feel cognitive decline as they age.

Previous studies have examined the relationship between diet and cognitive decline and produced mixed results, perhaps because participants did not remember and/or accurately report what they ate, hypothesized. the researchers’ hypothesis. This is why they chose to monitor diet adherence using biomarkers, an objective rather than subjective approach.

The research is “a step forward toward using more precise dietary assessment methodologies,” said Mercè Pallàs, professor of pharmacology at the university’s Institute of Neuroscience. said in a press release on the results, published last year In Molecular nutrition and food research.

The study “echoes previous studies that have shown that following a Mediterranean-style diet is associated with healthy brain aging.” Caroline Suziedietitian, says Fortune. “While there is no proven way to prevent dementia and cognitive decline, following this diet is associated with a lower risk of cognitive decline.”

What is the Mediterranean diet?

This plant-based way of eating, which has its roots in ancient Roman and Greek tradition and in the cuisine of the Middle Ages, was studied and consolidated in the 1950s. It focuses on the consumption of a variety of healthy foods, including:

• Vegetables

• Fruit

• Beans

• Lenses

• Nut

• Seeds

• Potatoes

• Whole grains

• Extra virgin olive oil, a healthy fat

• Herbs and spices (instead of salt)

The following foods are allowed in small to moderate quantities:

• Milkman

• Eggs

• Fish, which contains healthy omega-3 fatty acids

• Poultry

• Wine with meals (if you don’t drink, don’t start)

The following foods should be avoided:

• Red, fatty and/or processed meats

• Candy

• Salt

• Highly processed foods

• Refined carbohydrates

• Saturated fats

• Butter

• Sweet drinks

Although nicknamed “diet”, it focuses on general guidelines rather than a strict method of eating and should be accompanied by daily exercise. Sharing meals with family and friends is also encouraged.

Those who choose to go to the Mediterranean should “opt for fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, olive oil, beans, whole grains and olive oil,” says Susie. They should also aim for two servings of fish per week and stay active.

What are the benefits of a Mediterranean diet?

In addition to apparently reducing the risk of cognitive decline with age, the diet offers a wide variety of health benefits, including:

• Reduce the risk of heart disease, metabolic syndrome and certain cancers

• Support healthy body weight, blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol levels

• Balancing the intestinal microbiota

• Increased life expectancy

This is due to its many healthy aspects, including:

• Limited saturated and trans fats

• Limited sodium

• Limited sugar

• Increase in healthy unsaturated fats

• Increased fiber and antioxidants

Micronutrients are ‘strangely lower’ in Alzheimer’s brain

Levels of five micronutrients often found in Mediterranean diet foods are “remarkably lower” in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease than in those without the disease, a study suggests. study published this fall which analyzed the brains of 31 donors, whose average age was 75 years.

Most, but not all, had died of Alzheimer’s disease. Compared to unaffected brains, researchers found that the brains of people with the disease contained about half of the following micronutrients: vitamins and minerals that are essential for the body to function, but needed in small amounts:

• Lycopene: An antioxidant that may help protect cells from damage, lycopene gives certain fruits and vegetables, such as tomatoes, watermelon, red oranges, pink grapefruit, apricots and guavas, their red hue.

• Retinol: A form of vitamin A that helps the immune system function properly, retinol helps you see in dim light and keeps skin healthy. It is found in foods like cheese, eggs, fatty fish, milk, yogurt and liver. Indirect sources include yellow, red and green leafy vegetables like spinach, carrots, sweet potatoes and red peppers, in addition to yellow fruits like mangoes, papaya and apricots.

• Lutein: Often called the “eye vitamin,” lutein is believed to protect eye tissues from sun damage. You can find it in foods like egg yolks, spinach, kale, corn, orange peppers, kiwis, grapes, zucchini, and squash.

• Zeaxanthin: An antioxidant, zeaxanthin is known to protect eye tissues from the sun. It is found in eggs, oranges, grapes, corn, goji berries, mangoes and orange peppers.

• Vitamin E: Also an antioxidant, vitamin E controls free radicals, improves immune function, and may prevent clots from forming in the arteries of the heart. It is found in vegetable oils, nuts, seeds, fruits and vegetables like sunflower oil, soybean oil, almonds, peanuts, spinach, pumpkin, red peppers, asparagus , mangoes and avocados.

Many studies have also shown that those who follow SPIRIT (Mediterranean/Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension Dietary Intervention in Neurodegenerative Retardation) – which emphasizes the consumption of antioxidant-rich fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts and fish with very little of meat, dairy products and sweets – had a lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. disease, better cognitive function before death and fewer signs of Alzheimer’s disease in those who developed the disease.

“This study, for the first time, demonstrates significant dietary antioxidant deficiencies in the Alzheimer’s disease brain,” C. Kathleen Dorey, a professor at the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, said at the time. press release regarding the study.

“We believe that a diet rich in carotenoids will help keep the brain in excellent condition at any age,” she added.

This story was originally featured on Fortune.com