A healthy diet might be linked to a lower risk of memory and thinking decline, according to a new study published this week in the journal Neurology.
The study helps experts better understand the correlation a higher diet quality could have on reducing the risk of memory loss, and supports long held theories that eating a healthy diet could potentially lead to a lower risk of memory decline.
The new study suggests improving overall diet quality is an important factor for lowering the risk of memory and thinking loss. A "healthy diet" was defined by researchers as one with lots of fruits, vegetables, nuts, fish, moderate alcohol use and little red meat.
"The difference in our study is we didn't prescribe a particular diet or explore for a particular diet pattern," said Dr. Andrew Smyth, study lead author and a nephrologist at McMaster University in Ontario, Canada.
"We just wanted to look at a diverse cohort of people from all around the world and analyze what their risk for cognitive decline would be if they consumed what most organizations would consider a 'healthy diet'," Smyth said.
Researchers monitored the eating habits of 27,860 men and women across 40 countries for some five years. Participants were asked about the overall servings they consumed of different types of foods in both the healthy and unhealthy categories for which they received a corresponding point score.
"For example, if participants consumed the standard dietary recommendations for fruits and vegetables per day, they would get a high score in that category. The reverse happens for unhealthy food choices," said Smyth.
Participants were tested for their thinking and memory skills at the start of the study. They were tested again after two and five years.
Results revealed participants with the healthiest diets were 24 percent less likely to experience cognitive decline compared to those with the least healthy diets.
These individuals were more active, slightly older in age, less likely to smoke and had lower BMIs.
Smyth said they were interested in looking at this particular group that have a high risk for cardiovascular disease because they're also going to have a high risk of cognitive decline.
Previous research has long suggested a Mediterranean diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fish, and healthy fats is associated with reduced risk of cognitive impairment, said CNN.
Researchers also saw preliminary research suggesting that eating vitamin C and folate-rich vegetables like spinach and broccoli may slow cognitive decline.
"Other research has suggested that blueberries may boost memory and that a high intake of saturated and trans fats can have negative effects. So it's no surprise that to me that the healthiest eaters in this study fared the best in terms of their cognitive health," said Lisa Drayer, a New York-based nutritionist.
The 2015 report by the U.S. government's Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee emphasized that a healthy diet should be high in "vegetables, fruit, whole grains, seafood, legumes, and nuts; moderate in low- and non-fat dairy products and alcohol (among adults); lower in red and processed meat and low in sugar-sweetened foods and beverages and refined grains.