A major new scientific research, led by a Greek scientist, reveals that eating foods which contain omega-3 fatty acids (found in fish, chicken, etc.), along with the avoidance of meat, saturated fats and dairy products, is associated with better memory and generally with the better functioning of the mind. The study shows in general the importance of the Mediterranean diet in the prevention of dementia in old age.
This specific publication has been issued by researchers, led by Georgios Tsivgoulis, assistant professor of the Departments of Neurology at the University Of Athens School Of Medicine and the University of Alabama at Birmingham, who is as well member of the American Academy of Neurology, in the medical journal Neurology.
The scientists analyzed data about the diet of about 17,500 Americans and Europeans, with a mean age of 64 years and studied whether the habits of these people included the Mediterranean diet. Furthermore, the researchers submitted the participants to a series of memory and mental abilities tests over a period of four years on average. A good 17% of those people had diabetes, while 7% experienced various mental problems during the study.
The study found that among healthy people, those who best followed the Mediterranean diet, were on average 19% less likely to experience memory problems or problems of mental performance. But the Mediterranean diet did not appear to reduce the risk for the people with diabetes.
“Given that there are no effective treatments for most diseases which cause dementia, a change over our activities such as a balanced diet that may delay the symptoms of dementia, is very important,” Tsivgoulis stated.
He also highlighted that, “However, a change of diet alone is not enough and must be combined with physical exercise, obesity and smoking avoidance, together with drug therapy for diseases such as diabetes and hypertension.”
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