You might want to get the hummus out.
You can do things to help your brain perform at
its best in 2022 if you want to be your brightest self. While some habits, such
as excessive drinking or over-caffeinating, may negatively impact your mental
health, others, such as getting sufficient exercise and maintaining a good
sleep routine, can help keep your mind sharp. The foods you consume can also
have a significant impact. According to new research, following a Mediterranean
diet can help guard against cognitive decline.
Researchers looked at a sample of over 900
adults who were experiencing a cognitive decline over three years in the study,
which was published in the British Journal of Nutrition. They gave each
person's diet a score based on how closely their food choices adhered to the
principles of the Mediterranean diet. When researchers compared this data to
measures of cognitive health — mainly memory, language, visual perception, and
executive functioning — they discovered that following this diet was associated
with significantly slower cognitive decline.
Those with a 10 point higher Mediterranean Diet
Score (on a scale of 0 to 55) had a 7 percent slower cognitive decline after a
year. Furthermore, researchers discovered that each additional serving of
vegetables reduced the progression of cognitive decline by more than 2%.
The study adds to a mounting body of evidence
pointing to the brain-boosting advantages of this diet. According to a survey
of more than 500 older persons published in early 2021 by researchers at the
University of Edinburgh, the Mediterranean diet is related to higher thinking
skills later in life.
Another study published in Alzheimer's &
Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association in early 2021 indicated
that maintaining a strict Mediterranean diet can keep the brain almost six
years younger after following more than 5,000 people for two decades. The list
of studies that reach the same conclusion is endless. The benefits of the
Mediterranean diet on your brain appear to be a consistent result across
multiple groups of people, rather than a one-time effect reported in a single
study.
Eating monounsaturated fats like nuts or olive oil, receiving lots of vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals (beneficial compounds found in plants), and taking only modest quantities of salt are all pillars of the Mediterranean diet. The diet also has other advantages, such as lowering your risk of heart disease, extending your life, and assisting with fertility, to name a few.