While the benefits of following a Mediterranean diet are well established, a new study suggests that the fresh, olive oil-soaked eating style may boost brain health by promoting certain gut bacteria.
Researchers at Tulane University School of Medicine found that laboratory mice fed a Mediterranean diet developed different patterns of gut bacteria than those fed a Western diet.
The study, published in Gut Microbes Reports, found that bacterial changes associated with the Med diet led to improved cognitive performance.
“We know that what we eat affects brain function, but this study explores how this might happen,” said lead author Rebecca Solch-Ottaiano, PhD, an instructor of neurological research at Tulane’s Clinical Neuroscience Research Center.
“Our findings suggest that dietary choices may influence cognitive performance by reshaping the gut microbiome.”
The Mediterranean Diet, crowned best overall for eight years by US News & World Report, is a plant-based diet that prioritizes vegetables, fruits, whole grains, healthy fats, nuts, and seeds while limiting red meat and sugar.
The Mediterranean diet has been shown to help with weight loss, improve blood sugar, and lower blood pressure and cholesterol. It has also been linked to a lower risk of heart disease, stroke, dementia and certain types of cancer.
This latest Tulane study is the first to investigate the relationship between Mediterranean and Western diets, microbiota and cognitive function.
To model the effects of diet during a critical period of development, the researchers recruited mice equivalent to 18-year-old humans.
The researchers found that mice fed a Mediterranean diet, complete with a high intake of olive oil, fish and fiber, showed a marked increase in beneficial gut bacteria compared to those consuming a high-fat diet. , with few vegetables and heavy meat. Western diet.
Bacterial changes in Mediterranean mice, which included higher levels of bacteria such as Candidatus Saccharimonasassociated with improved cognitive performance and memory. In contrast, increased levels of certain bacteria, such as Bifidobacterium, in Western mice were associated with impaired memory function.
Previous studies have linked a Western diet to cognitive decline, as well as obesity, low sperm count, and emotional and behavioral issues.
The researchers noted that the Mediterranean diet group also showed higher levels of cognitive flexibility, EI, the ability to adapt and integrate new information, compared to the Western diet group. The Mediterranean mice also had lower levels of “bad” LDL cholesterol.
The clear benefits of following the Med diet suggest that similar effects may be reflected in young adults whose brains and bodies are still developing.
“Our findings suggest that the Mediterranean diet or its biological effects can be used to improve school performance in adolescents or work performance in young adults,” said corresponding author Dr. Demetrius M. Maraganore, Herbert J. Harvey, Jr. Chair of Neurosciences.
“While these findings are based on animal models, they echo human studies linking the Mediterranean diet to improved memory and reduced risk of dementia.”
Based on these findings, researchers are calling for large-scale human studies to investigate the relationship between cognitive function, diet and gut bacteria.
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