A 2018 study published in Translational Psychiatry shed light on one of the mechanisms that may be responsible for the wide-spread support from the research world of the Mediterranean diet for cognitive health - a reduction in the accumulation of Amyloid-Beta plaques.

Amyloid-beta plaque is associated with Alzheimer’s Disease; however, recent research shows it as more of a symptom of the disease process rather than the primary driver of it. In an assessment that ran for 36 months, the researchers found that even when adjusting for age, gender and APOE4 status, the closer participants followed the Mediterranean diet, the slower they accumulated Amyloid-beta plaques.

As with most research, this study brings up more questions than answers; however, it is safe to say from what we know of Dr. Bredesen’s work on Alzheimer’s Disease, that it’s likely the anti-inflammatory approach of this diet that has this impact on the rate of accumulation of Amyloid-Beta plaque. This research adds to our understanding of why a diet that is full of colorful fruits and vegetables and limits the intake of processed foods!

While this message is not new, this is just another reminder of why the most important choice you can make for the future health of your brain is that which happens at least 3 times a day- What You Eat!

How close to 8 servings of fruits and vegetables are you getting today? What makes it hard to get there?

Reference: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30375373