From: deputydawg23x@gmail.com   
      
   Mediterranean Diet may protect against age-related brain atrophy, dementia,   
   new study shows   
      
   Products such as fish, fruit, vegetables, cereals, beans and olive oil are   
   typical in the Mediterranean Diet.   
   Products such as fish, fruit, vegetables, cereals, beans and olive oil are   
   typical in the Mediterranean Diet. -- iStock   
   By ALLIE SHAH , STAR TRIBUNE    
   October 28, 2015 - 10:20 PM   
      
         
   Pass the olive oil. Fans of the Mediterranean Diet have one more reason to   
   celebrate: The diet known for being heart-healthy also might protect aging   
   brains from dementia.   
      
   Those who follow a diet rich in fish, olive oil, nuts and fruits and   
   vegetables tend to have less brain atrophy than those not on the diet. Putting   
   this in layman's terms: Their brains are bigger.   
      
   Researchers from Columbia University asked 674 people over the age of 80 who   
   showed no signs of dementia about their diet. Then they scanned the subjects'   
   brains and examined their brain volume.   
      
   The results were striking: The brains of devotees of the Mediterranean Diet   
   were 13.11 milliliters larger on average than those who did not eat that way,   
   according to the scientists, who published their study in the journal   
   Neurology.   
      
   For many doctors, the news confirms their beliefs that lifestyle choices can   
   contribute to a healthier brain.   
      
   "It's taking the research that was previously done on the Mediterranean Diet   
   and taking it to the next level," said Dr. Michael Rosenbloom, clinical   
   director of the HealthPartners Center for Memory and Aging in St. Paul.   
      
   "We've known for years that those who adhere to the Mediterranean Diet --   
   which refers to foods that are high in fish and olive oil (and low in   
   saturated fats), plus lots of fruits and vegetables -- that these individuals   
   have a lower relative risk for    
   developing dementia of all types later in life."   
      
      
   What the new study shows, he said, is a connection to brain volumes. He called   
   the findings "provocative."   
      
   "It's really interesting that this supposedly protective diet now is   
   associated with decreased brain atrophy," he said.   
      
   A cautionary note   
      
   Dr. David Knopman, an investigator with the Mayo Clinic Study of Aging, said   
   the research is solid but he cautioned against overstating the Mediterranean   
   Diet's benefits on the brain.   
      
   "The risk is in overinterpreting it," he said of the study. "It doesn't say   
   that if somebody who hasn't been eating healthy up until age 65 suddenly   
   becomes a Mediterranean Diet devotee that it's necessarily going to help them.   
      
   "But what the study does say is that the folks in this study in New York who   
   had presumably been following the diet for many years in fact had better brain   
   volumes than people who followed a diet that was something other than the   
   Mediterranean Diet."   
      
   The brain starts to shrink in our 30s and continues across the adult life   
   span, Knopman said. He noted that brain shrinkage is normal and does not equal   
   loss of brain function.   
      
   "Many people maintain high mental function even while their brain is shrinking   
   into the ninth and 10th decades of life," he said. But in cases of dementia,   
   the loss of brain volume is accelerated.   
      
   Maintaining mental sharpness is a hot topic. About 5 million people across the   
   country live with Alzheimer's -- a number expected to more than double by 2050   
   as the population ages.   
      
   Exciting possibilities   
      
   The potential to prevent brain atrophy through diet is a significant finding,   
   said Dr. Henry Emmons, a Minneapolis psychiatrist whose latest book, "Staying   
   Sharp," deals with how to stay mentally fit as we age.   
      
      
   "This is really important," he said of the study. "It highlights two things   
   about the Mediterranean Diet that are really good for the brain. One is that   
   the brain shrinks with age for lots of reasons. If your blood sugar is a   
   little bit too high, that is    
   associated with brain atrophy. One of the real advantages of the Mediterranean   
   Diet is that it's filled with foods that help stabilize your blood sugar.   
      
   "The second thing that I think is really important is the Mediterranean Diet   
   is filled with healthy fat. It's giving the brain the kind of fat it needs."   
      
   As with all diets, it's difficult to pinpoint exactly what is attributable to   
   the food and what results from other lifestyle aspects associated with people   
   who typically follow that diet. For example, in Mediterranean countries, meals   
   are social events    
   and are eaten over a longer, relaxed period.   
      
   "We know those who are more physically active, those who are socially active   
   -- these are also protective factors against developing dementia later in   
   life," Rosenbloom said. "It may be because those individuals [on the   
   Mediterranean Diet] are more    
   health-conscious and therefore more likely to exercise.   
      
   "The fact that we can't isolate this lifestyle vs. others also makes the   
   picture more muddy."   
      
      
      
   http://m.startribune.com/mediterranean-diet-may-protect-against-   
   ge-related-brain-atrophy-dementia-new-study-shows/337984131/   
      
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