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The Mediterranean diet is a way of eating based on the traditional cuisines of Greece, Italy, Spain and other countries surrounding the Mediterranean Sea. It is popular with health advocates and for good reason. Study after study has found that this eating plan can help protect against cancer, heart disease, diabetes and, importantly, cognitive decline.
Yes, research has shown that the Mediterranean diet can help support brain health as we age.
Following this eating plan means you’ll enjoy plenty of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts, seeds, olive oil and fish while easing up on red meat and sugar.
Here are five benefits of this nutrient-packed eating plan:
1. Fights depression
In addition to being rich in nutrients like antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids that can help support brain function, the Mediterranean diet emphasizes sharing meals with others as a way to be social — one of the six pillars of brain health. This may help explain why research has found a link between the Mediterranean diet and mental well-being.
The eating plan improved symptoms in people with depression in a systematic review and meta-analysis of five studies involving 1,507 participants with a mean age range of 22 to 53. The researchers, who published their findings in Nutrition Reviews in 2024, concluded that the Mediterranean diet has “substantial potential” to help people with mild or major depression.
It could also lower your risk of developing depression: People who adhered closely to the diet were 42 to 73 percent less likely to have depression than people who didn’t follow the eating plan, in a study published in Frontiers in Nutrition in 2023, which analyzed data from 5,849 adults between the ages of 20 and 69.
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