A green Mediterranean-style diet includes more plants than the traditional Mediterranean diet. Natasha Breen/Getty Images The green Mediterranean diet is a more plant-based version of the traditional Mediterranean diet and is rich in polyphenol content. Recent studies have shown that both diets may help regulate blood sugar levels and slow brain aging, with the green version possibly having more of an effect. Experts recommend adopting a leafy, Mediterranean-style diet if it suits your needs, and suggest incorporating more polyphenol-rich foods to maintain brain health.
Now, a new analysis of the trial investigated how certain diet-related health markers influence the difference between an individual’s brain volume and the brain volume expected for their age.
Some people’s brain age differs from their actual (chronological) age. Younger brain age indicates better cognitive function, whereas older brain age may indicate faster aging and a higher risk of cognitive decline.
New research suggests that improved blood sugar regulation may contribute to the neuroprotective effects of Mediterranean and green Mediterranean diets on brain aging.
A leafy Mediterranean diet, with the addition of polyphenol-rich ingredients such as mankai and green tea, may particularly promote improved blood sugar control and rejuvenated brain age.
The majority were male (88%) and the average age was 51 years.
Participants were divided into three groups.
Regular diet according to healthy eating guidelines Traditional Mediterranean diet low in simple carbohydrates Leafy Mediterranean diet rich in polyphenols and low in red meat
Both Mediterranean diets included intake of 28 grams of walnuts per day, which provided approximately 440 milligrams (mg) of polyphenols.
The green Mediterranean diet group was also supplemented with 3 to 4 cups of green tea and Lemna shake each day, providing an additional 800 mg of polyphenols.
During the study, all participants received a free gym membership and regular 90-minute sessions on nutrition and physical activity.
The researchers collected blood samples and used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to monitor brain structure and track changes in brain volume at baseline and at 18 months.
A total of 224 participants underwent eligible brain MRI and completed the study.
In a new analysis, an international group of researchers in nutrition and brain health, including researchers from universities such as Ben-Gurion University, Harvard University and Leipzig, explore how diet-induced changes in health status contribute to differences in brain aging. We investigated whether this would contribute.
They used hippocampal occupancy (HOC) scores to estimate the degree of hippocampal shrinkage based on MRI scans, assess brain age, and predict future dementia risk.
HOC typically decreases with age, but does not necessarily correspond to a person’s chronological age.
The researchers also used automated software called NeuroQuant to measure and analyze data from the brain MRI scans.
People with high HOC deviations indicate a younger brain age compared to their actual age and have lower values for:
Positive changes in HOC deviation over 18 months (indicating less decline in brain age) are independent of greater improvements in markers of short- and long-term blood glucose, insulin resistance, and C-reactive protein (inflammation) levels It was related.
Additionally, people whose diabetes status improved had less brain tissue loss than those whose diabetes status remained unchanged or worsened.
Lower HbA1c in people with better glycemic control was associated with significant changes in brain regions such as the thalamus, caudate nucleus, and cerebellum. These areas are key to cognition, motor function, and processing of sensory information.
Importantly, people who consumed more duckweed shake and green tea as part of a Mediterranean green diet showed greater improvements in blood sugar control and brain aging beyond weight loss.
Although more research is needed, the results suggest that improved blood sugar control and daily intake of polyphenol-rich foods may help slow age-related changes in the brain.
Thomas M. Holland, MD, a physician-scientist and assistant professor in the RUSH Institute for Healthy Aging, School of Health Sciences, RUSH University, who was not involved in the study, told Medical News Today that a green Mediterranean diet is possible. He said it was sexual. Improving blood sugar regulation and management and incorporating polyphenol-rich foods such as mankai and green tea can benefit brain aging in people with abdominal obesity and abnormal lipid levels.
“(Blood sugar) stability is important because elevated blood sugar levels can cause oxidative stress and inflammation, which can accelerate brain aging. Supports neurogenesis in critical areas This diet is thought to reduce inflammation and oxidative stress while promoting blood sugar stability and reducing neuroinflammation (and) oxidative stress, thereby reducing the atrophy typically associated with brain aging. may be delayed.”
— Thomas M. Holland, MD, MSc
MNT also spoke with Eliza Whitaker, MD, RDN, a women’s health dietitian and founder of Nourished Nutrition and Fitness, who was not involved in the study.
She added that “polyphenols also support the growth of beneficial bacteria in the gut, improving gut health and reducing inflammation,” as proven in previous research.
She also emphasized that the leafy Mediterranean diet emphasizes fiber-rich plant foods that act as prebiotics that nourish the gut microbiome.
Through these various pathways, improving gut health can further enhance the absorption of polyphenols, allowing people to reap more of their benefits, Whitaker said.
Professor Holland said the green Mediterranean diet, “similar to the MIND diet, holds promise as a treatment to combat declining brain age, particularly by focusing on components rich in polyphenols.”
Whittaker emphasized that nutritional recommendations should be personal and individualized. However, she said she recommends a green Mediterranean diet for those who feel it is appropriate.
For those interested in reducing their meat intake and increasing their plant intake, as well as incorporating elements of the green Mediterranean diet, which are highlighted, Holland recommends taking the following: I advised him to do so.
Approximately 3 to 4 cups of green tea daily Mankai several times a week, in the form of a shake or as part of a meal
Additionally, the following foods may help slow brain aging, especially when consumed as part of a leafy, Mediterranean-style diet, he said.
Walnuts — rich in polyphenols and omega-3 fatty acids Olive oil — rich in monounsaturated fats and polyphenols Leafy greens (such as spinach, kale, arugula) — contain flavanols, folate, lutein, and antioxidants that protect cognitive function I am. Berries — rich in flavonoids Especially anthocyanin fatty fish (salmon, sardines, etc.) — a source of the omega-3 fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) Turmeric — contains the bioactive compound curcumin
“All of the foods listed typically contain high concentrations of polyphenols,” Holland emphasized.
