The Mediterranean diet also includes beans and grains such as wheat, rice, fish, dairy products, and moderate amounts of red meat and poultry. A professor at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, said, as we age, the brain shrinks and we lose brain cells. It affects our learning and memory. This study provides evidence that the Mediterranean diet has positive effects on brain health.

For the study, researchers collected the eating habits of 1,000 Scottish people. His age was about 70 years and he did not have dementia. The findings showed that those who did not follow the Mediterranean diet properly had greater loss in total brain volume after three years. This loss was three times greater than that of those who followed the diet.

Additionally, fish and meat consumption was not associated with changes in brain function. This was contrary to earlier studies. It’s possible that other components of the Mediterranean diet may be responsible for this association, or a combination of all factors, he said. The researchers noted that no association was found between gray matter volume or cortical thickness and the Mediterranean diet. Gray matter is the outer layer of the brain.