You probably already know the Mediterranean diet has shown promise for boosting peoples cardiovascular health.
Now, findings published in the Archives of Neurology suggest another benefit to a diet rich with fish, vegetables, legumes and fruit.
Researchers at Columbia University Medical Center say the Mediterranean diet is associated with less risk of mild cognitive impairment.
Mild cognitive impairment is considered to be a stage between normal aging and dementia, the scientists explain.
Among study participants who did not have memory problems, consuming a Mediterranean diet cut their risk of developing mild cognitive impairment by 28 percent.
Meanwhile, those who already had memory problems saw their risk of transitioning from impairment into dementia decrease by 48 percent.
The scientists propose that this type of diet may improve a number of health indicators that influence cognitive decline, or that individual foods may affect cognition.
“Alcohol, fish, polyunsaturated fatty acids
and lower levels of saturated fatty acids” have also been shown to be beneficial to protect against Alzheimers, the authors write.