Researchers have revealed that a new ‘Green Mediterranean’ diet plan may slash dementia risk and reduce ‘brain ageing’.
The Mediterranean diet comes doctor and scientist-approved, thanks to its staples being fruit, vegetables and wholegrains, with various studies showing that following the plan can help to keep cognitive ability sharp. But now, researchers have revealed that a ‘tweaked’ version of this plan – that’s packed full of green tea, walnuts, and a special green smoothie – could prove far more effective at reducing dementia risk and slowing brain ageing.
For the study, Israeli researchers recruited 250 obese people to follow the new ‘tweaked’ version of the diet, with the results showing that it was effective for reducing high blood sugar, as well as getting metabolism under control.
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Interestingly, they also found that following this diet plan led to ‘neuroprotective benefits’, with visibly improved signs of slower brain ageing on brain scans of study participants.
This suggests that by maintaining a healthier weight and reducing intake of processed foods, you can reduce neurodegeneration.
The participants were required to follow a ‘green’ version of the Mediterranean diet for a period of 18 months, during which they were expected to consume 28g of walnuts each day, three to four cups of green tea, and a green shake that had been made with globosa – a type of plant extract.
The female participants were allowed between 1,200 to 1,400 calories a day, while the male participants could have between 1,500 and 1,800 calories.
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Researchers asked each person participating to undergo a brain scan at the start and end of the study, so that ‘brain age’ could be calculated.
The researchers revealed, in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition , that people who followed the ‘green’ diet showed important improvements in brain ageing metrics.
They said: “Increased consumption of green tea and Mankai shake [the green drink] was linked to greater improvements in brain health, especially in participants who consumed the shake at least thrice a week and drank green tea daily.”
With researchers adding that this ‘could be partially attributed to the high content of polyphenols that are present in plant-based food sources’.
Polyphenols are a group of compounds that occur naturally in plants with antioxidant properties.
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