Adding Nuts and Olive Oil to Your Mediterranean May Improve Your Brain Power

You may want to start eating nuts if you want to improve your brain power. Scientists have discovered that supplementing the plant-based Mediterranean diet with antioxidant-rich virgin olive oil or mixed nuts was associated with improved cognitive function.

Previous research has shown that there may be an association between dietary habits and cognitive performance. Oxidative stress, which is the body's inability to appropriately detoxify itself, has long been considered to play a major role in cognitive decline. But those who follow a Mediterranean diet may have better cognitive function and lower risk of dementia.

In this latest study, the researchers examined 447 cognitive healthy volunteers with the average age of nearly 67 years. All of these patients were at high cardiovascular risk. Of the participants involved, 115 individuals were assigned to supplement a Mediterranean diet with one liter of extra virgin olive oil per week, and 147 were assigned to supplement their diet with 30 grams of mixed nuts per day. In contrast 145 individuals were set to follow a low-fat control diet.

The researchers measured cognitive change over time with several neuropsychological tests. In the end, they created three cognitive composites for memory, frontal and global cognition. After four years, the scientists conducted follow-up tests.

So what did they find? Individuals assigned the low-fat control diet had a significant decrease from baseline in all composites of cognitive function. Compared to the control group, the memory composite improved significantly in the Mediterranean diet plus nuts, while the frontal and global cognition composites improved in the Mediterranean diet plus olive oil group.

The findings reveal that for older individuals, a Mediterranean diet supplemented with olive oil or nuts could actually counteract cognitive decline.

The findings are published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine.You may want to start eating nuts if you want to improve your brain power. Scientists have discovered that supplementing the plant-based Mediterranean diet with antioxidant-rich virgin olive oil or mixed nuts was associated with improved cognitive function.

Previous research has shown that there may be an association between dietary habits and cognitive performance. Oxidative stress, which is the body's inability to appropriately detoxify itself, has long been considered to play a major role in cognitive decline. But those who follow a Mediterranean diet may have better cognitive function and lower risk of dementia.

In this latest study, the researchers examined 447 cognitive healthy volunteers with the average age of nearly 67 years. All of these patients were at high cardiovascular risk. Of the participants involved, 115 individuals were assigned to supplement a Mediterranean diet with one liter of extra virgin olive oil per week, and 147 were assigned to supplement their diet with 30 grams of mixed nuts per day. In contrast 145 individuals were set to follow a low-fat control diet.

The researchers measured cognitive change over time with several neuropsychological tests. In the end, they created three cognitive composites for memory, frontal and global cognition. After four years, the scientists conducted follow-up tests.

So what did they find? Individuals assigned the low-fat control diet had a significant decrease from baseline in all composites of cognitive function. Compared to the control group, the memory composite improved significantly in the Mediterranean diet plus nuts, while the frontal and global cognition composites improved in the Mediterranean diet plus olive oil group.

The findings reveal that for older individuals, a Mediterranean diet supplemented with olive oil or nuts could actually counteract cognitive decline.

The findings are published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine.