Researchers find new ‘Green Mediterranean’ plan can reduce risk of dementia and ‘slow brain aging’

The Mediterranean diet is praised by doctors and scientists because of the menu with fruits, vegetables and whole grains that have been shown to keep you sharp in old age.

But now scientists say a slightly modified version – packed with green tea, walnuts and a green smoothie – could be even more effective at helping to slow brain aging and reduce the risk of dementia.

Israeli researchers, who recruited more than 250 obese people to follow the diet, found it was effective at lowering high blood sugar levels and controlling metabolism.

They found this provided ‘neuroprotective benefits’ and improved the signs of brain aging on brain scans.

The findings show that maintaining a healthy weight and eating fewer processed foods “may play an important role” in reducing neurodegeneration, the researchers said.

The Mediterranean diet – rich in healthy fats, proteins and whole grains – has become extremely popular in recent years, with a wealth of research touting its benefits for longevity, reducing frailty and preventing cancer.

The diet largely consists of avoiding dairy, red meat and alcohol, while indulging in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, olive oil, oily fish, nuts, seeds and legumes.

Researchers from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev recruited 284 volunteers, mostly men and on average 51 years old.

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They were asked to follow a ‘green’ Mediterranean diet for 18 months, consuming 28 grams of walnuts daily, three to four cups of green tea and a green shake made with globosa – a plant extract.

Women were asked to consume no more than 1,200 to 1,400 calories per day, while men stuck to 1,500 to 1,800 calories per day.

MRI brain scans were performed at the start and end of the trial to calculate ‘brain age’: how old the brain appears on scans, regardless of biological age.

During the study, all participants received a free gym membership and educational sessions that encouraged moderate-intensity physical activity.

Measurements of participants’ body weight, blood pressure and lipid levels were also taken.

They found that those who followed the ‘green’ Mediterranean diet were most likely to see an improvement in their blood sugar levels (58.33 percent).

This figure was 31.62 percent among those following the Mediterranean diet and 28.57 percent among the control group, suggesting that those in the ‘green’ group were less likely to develop metabolic conditions such as type 2 diabetes.

To write The American Journal of Clinical Nutritionthe researchers also said that people who follow the green diet ‘also had the most significant improvements in brain aging statistics’.

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They added: ‘Increased consumption of green tea and Mankai shake (the green drink) was linked to greater improvements in brain health, especially in participants who consumed the shake at least three times a week and drank green tea daily. ‘

This “may be partly attributed to the high levels of polyphenols present in plant food sources,” they also said.

This is a group of naturally occurring compounds found in plants that have antioxidant properties.

However, the scientists acknowledged that the study had “a number of limitations,” including a lack of data on volunteers’ educational or cognitive status before the study began.

The high percentage of male participants could also “limit the generalizability of our findings to women,” they said.

Recent analysis by the Alzheimer’s Society estimates that the total annual cost of dementia to Britain is £42 billion per year, with families bearing the brunt.

An aging population means these costs – including the lost income of unpaid caregivers – are expected to rise to £90 billion over the next fifteen years.

It is thought that around 944,000 people in Britain are living with dementia, while in the US the figure is around 7 million.

Writing in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the researchers also said that people who followed the green diet “also had the most significant improvements in brain aging metrics.”

Alzheimer’s disease affects about six in ten people with dementia.

It is thought to be caused by a buildup of amyloid and tau in the brain, which clump together, and by plaques and tangles that make it harder for the brain to work properly.

Eventually, the brain struggles to cope with this damage and dementia symptoms develop.

Memory problems, thinking and reasoning problems, and language problems are common early symptoms of the condition, which then worsen over time.

An analysis by Alzheimer’s Research UK found that 74,261 people died from dementia in 2022, up from 69,178 a year earlier, making it the country’s biggest killer.