How to Eat for a Healthy Brain

The Mediterranean diet—more fruits, vegetables, olive oil, pasta, beans, and an occasional glass of wine, and less fried and processed foods, red meat, and cheese—has been shown to improve heart health and reduce the risk for some types of cancer in study after study. Now, according to researchers, it seems this healthy eating plan could help preserve your brain as well.

As people age, they lose brain mass and volume. A recent study, conducted in Scotland and published in Neurology, showed that people in their 70s who followed a Mediterranean diet lost less brain mass over a 3-year period than those who ate a more traditional diet—confirming earlier research. This study was different than past studies in that it didn’t find any benefit from adding fish to the diet.

A healthy diet leads to better health overall—and reduces the risk for many chronic conditions. Brain mass loss contributes to dementia and other diseases of the brain and preserving brain mass can help reduce the risk for serious health problems commonly seen in older adults.