Researchers and Nutritionists have long touted the Mediterranean diet as heart-healthy. Now, new research points to the benefits of the Mediterranean diet for the brain. One article describes a protective role for the diet against depression, and another shows potential protection against Alzheimer's disease.
In the first study, researchers evaluated the diets of over 10,000 Spanish people for adherence to a Mediterranean style diet. They then followed these people for over four years (on average) to see who became clinically depressed, after ensuring that none of the participants already had diagnosis of depression or were taking anti-depressant medications.
The research team discovered that those who best adhered to a Mediterranean style diet were nearly half as likely to become depressed as those who did not follow the diet. Most significantly protective foods were fruits and nuts, legumes, and eating a high ratio of monounsaturated fats compared to saturated fats. Those associated with increased depression prevalence were whole-fat dairy products and red meats.
In the second study, researchers evaluated the diets of over 2,000 elderly participants and ranked them by adherence to a Mediterranean style diet. In this study, researchers followed these subjects for nearly four years to see how many developed Alzheimer's disease.
Again, those who ate close to the diet had lower incidence of Alzheimer's disease over the course of the study than those who did not. In this study, a protective diet was characterized by higher intakes of salad dressing, nuts, fish, tomatoes, poultry, cruciferous vegetables, fruits, and dark green leafy vegetables and lower intakes of high-fat, dairy, red meat, organ meat and butter.
In both studies, other factors associated with the diet. For example, people who ate a Mediterranean style diet tended to smoke less and exercise more. However, researcher took these and other factors into account in their analyses and discovered that the Mediterranean diet accounted for a significant component of the protective lifestyle.
One unique finding to these studies was that protective effects couldn't really be assigned to specific foods, but it was the combination of foods that was most effective - especially for the Alzheimer's study. Researchers often try to figure out what the specific protective ingredients are when trying to treat or prevent disease - a process called reductionism.
These and other recent studies are suggesting that reductionism may not be the right approach when it comes to nutritional studies. Foods and nutrients interact with each other and these interactions are probably important for the full benefit of the diet.
In the first study, researchers evaluated the diets of over 10,000 Spanish people for adherence to a Mediterranean style diet. They then followed these people for over four years (on average) to see who became clinically depressed, after ensuring that none of the participants already had diagnosis of depression or were taking anti-depressant medications.
The research team discovered that those who best adhered to a Mediterranean style diet were nearly half as likely to become depressed as those who did not follow the diet. Most significantly protective foods were fruits and nuts, legumes, and eating a high ratio of monounsaturated fats compared to saturated fats. Those associated with increased depression prevalence were whole-fat dairy products and red meats.
In the second study, researchers evaluated the diets of over 2,000 elderly participants and ranked them by adherence to a Mediterranean style diet. In this study, researchers followed these subjects for nearly four years to see how many developed Alzheimer's disease.
Again, those who ate close to the diet had lower incidence of Alzheimer's disease over the course of the study than those who did not. In this study, a protective diet was characterized by higher intakes of salad dressing, nuts, fish, tomatoes, poultry, cruciferous vegetables, fruits, and dark green leafy vegetables and lower intakes of high-fat, dairy, red meat, organ meat and butter.
In both studies, other factors associated with the diet. For example, people who ate a Mediterranean style diet tended to smoke less and exercise more. However, researcher took these and other factors into account in their analyses and discovered that the Mediterranean diet accounted for a significant component of the protective lifestyle.
One unique finding to these studies was that protective effects couldn't really be assigned to specific foods, but it was the combination of foods that was most effective - especially for the Alzheimer's study. Researchers often try to figure out what the specific protective ingredients are when trying to treat or prevent disease - a process called reductionism.
These and other recent studies are suggesting that reductionism may not be the right approach when it comes to nutritional studies. Foods and nutrients interact with each other and these interactions are probably important for the full benefit of the diet.
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