It’s healthy, tasty, and includes all the vital nutrients that we need to thrive, so it’s no wonder that fans of the Mediterranean diet have been singing its praises through the centuries.

But there are a range of newly discovered reasons to adopt the diet – which is heavy in fruits and vegetables, whole grains and olive oil – if you haven’t already.

Researchers have proven time and time again that the Mediterranean diet is ideal for many aspects of your health and wellbeing, but a new study from Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, has confirmed all this and more.

In fact their latest study, which has been published by Jama Open Network, confirms that this diet can actually help to prevent dementia.

Specifically exploring the MIND diet (an adapted variant thought to be ideal for preventing cognitive decline and hypertension), the researchers found that such foods protect the hippocampus, an important part of the brain in which is fundamental to memory.

The project involved postmortem examinations of the brains of over 800 people who had consistently logged their food intake in the years leading up to their deaths.

And what they found was important: those whose diets resembled the MIND diet (meaning that they ate plenty of vegetables, whole grains and, where desired, fish and white meat, whilst not consuming too much fried foods, dairy and red meat) had healthier hippocampuses.

With a healthier hippocampus comes less risk of cognitive decline, suggesting that these people were less likely to develop dementia.

Though the fact that diet affects brain health, and even risk of developing dementia, isn’t new, the study clearly evidences a link between a healthy diet and a health brain in our later years.

The researchers still have a lot of unanswered questions, but it is thought that the anti-inflammatory effects of the Mediterranean diet may help the brain from becoming damaged as we age.

And given the Mediterranean diet is also known to decrease the risk of Type 2 diabetes, heart problems, and certain types of cancer, there’s never been a better time to start eating your veggies and lowering your intake of fried foods and red meat.

Your brain will thank you.

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