Can a diet help your memory? New study investigates
A new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association’s Internal Medicine, has found that adding more olive oil or nuts to a Mediterranean diet may help keep your mind sharper as you age. We know the Mediterranean diet is linked to positive health outcomes including weight loss, lower blood pressure, and lower bad cholesterol but the researchers also found that seniors following a Mediterranean diet heavy in olive oil and nuts had greater improvements in thinking and memory than people who followed a lower-fat diet.
Nearly 450 older adults, who were all at risk for heart disease participated in the in study. The participants had no reported problems with memory or thinking. Random participants were assigned to add a liter of extra virgin olive oil per week to their Mediterranean diet or to supplement their diets with 30 grams of walnuts; hazelnuts and almonds per day while others followed a low-fat diet.
Researchers saw improvements in tests of memory and thinking in both groups that were following the Mediterranean diet compared to the group on the low-fat diet.
This is just another example of how truly beneficial the Mediterranean Diet is when it comes to health. By adding more olive oil and nuts into the other already healthy foods included in the Mediterranean diet such as fruits, pasta, fish and beans, one can reap the benefits of the diet at a low cost.
Pasta can the perfect base to a meal filled with both olive oil and healthy nuts! If you’re looking for some easy recipes to get you started, make sure to check out our Recipe Page.
