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Extra nuts or oil with Mediterranean

diet could protect memory
Last updated: Wednesday 13 May 2015 at 7am PST

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The Mediterranean diet typically bases meals around fruit,

vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts and olive oil.

randomized clinical trial that followed cognitive change over time

among volunteers assigned to follow one of three different diets.
Volunteers were cognitively healthy, had a high cardiovascular risk
and an average age of 67.
Following the Mediterranean diet has been recommended by the
Dietary Guidelines for Americans as a way to promote health and
prevent disease. Emphasis is placed on eating primarily plant-based
foods, basing every meal on foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole
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grains, legumes and nuts.

The diet discourages the use of saturated fats and trans fats, both
associated with heart disease. Instead, healthier types of fat are
obtained from sources such as olive oil, predominantly containing
monounsaturated fat which can improve cholesterol levels.
Vegetables and healthier fats are also good sources of antioxidants
that play an important role in counteracting oxidative stress.
Oxidative stress occurs when the body is unable to detoxify itself
fully, and the process is believed to play a significant role in
cognitive decline.
"Oxidative stress and vascular impairment are believed to partly
mediate age-related cognitive decline, a strong risk factor for
development of dementia," write the authors. "Epidemiologic studies
suggest that a Mediterranean diet, an antioxidant-rich
cardioprotective dietary pattern, delays cognitive decline, but clinical
trial evidence is lacking."

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To test this hypothesis, Dr. Emilio Ros of the Institut d'Investigacions

Biomediques August Pi Sunyer, Hospital Clinic, Barcelona, and
coauthors examined the effects of Mediterranean diets
supplemented with olive oil or nuts compared with a low-fat control
diet.

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A total of 155 participants were randomly assigned to follow a

Mediterranean diet supplemented with one liter of extra virgin olive
oil per week. Another 147 participants were assigned to follow a

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Mediterranean diet supplemented with 30 grams per day of mixed

nuts (walnuts, hazelnuts and almonds).
The researchers measured cognitive change in the participants over
time using multiple neuropsychological tests focusing on memory,
global cognition and frontal cognition (attention and executive
function). These participants were compared with a control group of
145 participants following a diet where they were advised to reduce
dietary fat.

Extra olive oil or nuts 'may counteract age-related

cognitive decline'
After a median of 4 years of the dietary intervention, follow-up
cognitive tests were available in 334 participants. The researchers
found there were 37 cases of mild cognitive impairment among the
participants: 17 (13.4%) in the group that received extra olive oil,
eight (7.1%) in the mixed nuts group and 12 (12.6%) in the control
group.

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Participants in the control group experienced significant decreases

in each measured composite of cognitive function. The researchers
noted, however, that the two Mediterranean diet arms of the study
experienced different improvements in cognitive function.
"The group with nuts did better compared to the control group in
memory tests, memorizing names or words, while the olive oil
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group did better on tests that require speed of thought, your

frontal function, your executive function," explains Dr. Ros.
Although the study was a randomized clinical trial, it has its
limitations. Not all participants received follow-up cognitive testing,
and adherence to all three diets cannot be guaranteed. According to
the researchers, further investigation is warranted.
"Our results suggest that in an older population, a Mediterranean
diet supplemented with olive oil or nuts may counteract age-related
cognitive decline," conclude the authors. "The lack of effective
treatments for cognitive decline and dementia points to the need of
preventive strategies to delay the onset and/or minimize the effects
of these devastating conditions."
In an interview with JAMA, Dr. Ros states that the research team is
currently conducting a study into the effects of walnuts on
neurodegenerative disease, comparing a walnut diet with a control
diet.
Last week, Medical News Today reported on a similar study in which
researchers monitored the diets of older adults for 5 years and
tested for cognitive decline. The researchers discovered that those
who ate healthily experienced only a small drop in brain power.

-- Select a subject --

Written by James McIntosh

Copyright: Medical News Today
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References

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Additional information

Citations

Mediterranean diet and age-related cognitive decline, Emilio Ros, et al., JAMA
Internal Medicine, doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2015.1668, published online
11 May 2015, abstract.
JAMA news release, accessed 13 May 2015.
Additional source: Mayo Clinic, Mediterranean diet: a heart-healthy eating
plan, accessed 13 May 2015.

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