Scots may like to dabble in a more exotic array of foods during the summer months or when they’re on holiday, but incorporating a Mediterranean diet into your everyday life could come with a whole host of health benefits.
Originating from the mid-20th century culinary traditions of Mediterranean countries, this way of eating encourages a reduction in refined sugars and an increase in plant-based foods.
This means loading up on vegetables, fruits, beans, nuts, whole grains, and healthy fats like olive oil. Now, a new study has suggested that the Mediterranean diet can improve memory and reduce the risk of dementia.
The Tulane University study suggests the Mediterranean diet’s brain-boosting benefits may work by changing the balance of bacteria in the gut.
Researchers found that subjects following a Mediterranean diet developed distinctly different gut bacteria patterns compared to those eating a typical Western diet. These bacterial changes correlated with better memory and cognitive performance.
“We’ve known that what we eat affects brain function, but this study explores how that could be happening,” said lead author Rebecca Solch-Ottaiano, Ph.D at Tulane’s Clinical Neuroscience Research Center. “Our findings suggest that dietary choices can influence cognitive performance by reshaping the gut microbiome.”
The study found that rats fed a Mediterranean-style diet rich in olive oil, fish and fiber over 14 weeks showed increases in four beneficial types of gut bacteria and decreases in five others compared to rats eating a Western diet high in saturated fats.
These bacterial changes were linked to improved performance on maze challenges designed to test memory and learning.
Higher levels of bacteria such as Candidatus Saccharimonas were associated with better cognitive performance, while increased levels of other bacteria, such as Bifidobacterium, correlated with poorer memory function.
“Our findings suggest that the Mediterranean diet or its biological effects could be harnessed to improve scholastic performance in adolescents, or work performance in young adults,” said co-author Dr. Demetrius M. Maraganore.
“While these findings are based on animal models, they echo human studies linking the Mediterranean diet to improved memory and reduced dementia risk.”
The researchers emphasise that larger human studies are needed to confirm these effects and better understand the complex relationship between diet, gut bacteria, and brain function in young people.
Key components of the Mediterranean diet include:
- Olive oil as the primary fat source
- Abundant vegetables, fruits and whole grains
- Fish and lean proteins
- Limited red meat and saturated fats
- High fiber intake from various plant sources
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