Mediterranean Diet May Prevent Memory Loss and Dementia, Study Finds

A study in Neurology suggests a Mediterranean diet may reduce the risk for developing Alzheimer's disease by interfering with the accrual of amyloid and tau proteins, reports CNN . Most meals adhering to the Mediterranean diet are heavy on fruits and vegetables, whole grains, beans, and seeds, with a few nuts and a significant portion of extra-virgin olive oil. Fats apart from olive oil are consumed rarely, and refined sugar or flour is cut out entirely. Participants who did not follow the diet closely had more indications of amyloid and tau buildup in their spinal fluid than those who did, while for each point a person lost on failing to follow the diet, brain scans showed one additional year of brain aging in areas associated with Alzheimer's. "These results add to the body of evidence that show what you eat may influence your memory skills later on," stated Tommaso Ballarini at the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases.