A Mediterranean diet, consisting of more fish, olive oil, nuts, legumes, and vegetables, is excellent for the brain and may lessen your chance of acquiring dementia, according to one research.

Traditional Mediterranean diets are limited in red meat and dairy and are frequently associated with several health advantages such as the lower risk of diabetes, high blood pressure and cholesterol, and heart disease. Earlier research has also found a correlation between food and a higher life expectancy.

As per recent research released in the medical journal Neurology, the traditional foods in this diet could conflict with the building of two proteins, the improper development of which is thought to lead to Alzheimer's-related brain alterations.

Thus according to the findings, the amyloid protein develops clumps, called plaques, between nerve cells in the human brain and, if left unchecked, can eventually enable a second protein, tau, to spread rapidly through memory-related parts of the brain.

Individuals who adopted a Mediterranean diet strictly exhibited fewer symptoms of amyloid and tau development than those who did not, according to researchers from the German Centre for Neurodegenerative Diseases in Bonn.

As part of the study, 343 patients at elevated risk of acquiring Alzheimer's were examined and compared to 169 cognitively normal patients.

The scientists evaluated each person's cognitive abilities, such as language and memory, and used scans to determine brain volume. A total of 226 individuals' spinal fluid was collected and evaluated for amyloid and tau protein indicators.

The study discovered that for every point a person lost by not following the Mediterranean diet, brain scans revealed that the brain aged an additional year in areas related to Alzheimer's.

It added that the outcomes were consistent with earlier scientific research that indicated the Mediterranean diet may be a “protective factor against memory loss,” suggesting that this might be understood by a drop in amyloid and tau proteins in diet enthusiasts.

“These findings contribute to the body of data that shows what you eat may affect your memory capabilities later on,” said postdoctoral researcher Tommaso Ballarini, who conducted the research.

Researchers suggested that more experiments will be conducted to determine what it implies for Alzheimer's treatment.

Existing research has also found a correlation between a Mediterranean diet and a lower incidence of cognitive decline.

Researchers from the National Eye Institute in Bethesda, Maryland, discovered last year that persons who adhered more strictly to a Mediterranean diet had an approximately “45% to 50% decrease in the probability of having a deteriorated cognitive function.”

Dr. Emily Chew, the study's primary author, told CNN at the moment that the threat of cognitive impairment grew as more people have failed to comply with the diet, which included eating more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and olive oil while eating less red meat and alcohol.

“Those who have the strongest compliance to the diet had greater protection than those from the second tier, who already had greater cognitive protection than those from the bottom tier,” she explained.