There is no one way to lead a healthy life, but the Mediterranean diet is often recommended for improving heart health and even for living longer. Diet guru Michael Mosley has touted a green version of this diet that could boost your brain.
In a Harvard study this year, scientists studied the effects of a green Mediterranean diet that incorporated more fibre, plus green tea and a green shake with a special ingredient to account for the minimal amount of red or processed meat eaten.
Researchers found the green diet appears to slow the brain from shrinking - a process called brain atrophy that happens as we age that can cause dementia - through eating food rich in antioxidants.
The study split participants into three groups and measured their MRI scans as indicators of brain atrophy and predictors of future dementia, the Express reported.
Compared to other groups, people on the green Mediterranean diet had the greatest reduction in brain atrophy during the study. Plus, those on both types of Mediterranean diets had significantly reduced shrinkage of the hippocampus compared to those on the standard healthy diet.
Michael Mosley wrote about the findings for Daily Mail : "A recent study in Israel compared the impact of a low-fat diet, a Mediterranean diet (lots of veg, oily fish and olive oil) and a green Mediterranean diet.
"[This] is like the Mediterranean diet, but the participants also had to drink three cups of green tea and a green shake made of Mankai duckweed (a plant from Southeast Asia) that's packed with protein and other nutrients."
The presenter went on about the key ingredient to the 'super shake' that could stave off dementia.
He continued: "At the end of the 18-month study, both Mediterranean diets had improved the participants' brain volume, but it was the Greenies who came out on top. The researchers think this is because the green diet is especially rich in polyphenols, a type of antioxidant that can cross into the brain and encourage the production of new brain cells."
Rich in the plant compounds called polyphenols, the green shake made out of the special ingredient was served as a daily substitute for dinner for the study participants.
Apart from Mankai duckweed and green tea, the subjects also had to consume minimal amounts of red and processed meat. Plus, they also participated in physical activities, varying from going to the gym to aerobic exercises.
Mosley shared that it's not just green foods that are packed with the plant goodies, adding: "You also find lots in berries, red onions and apples. A great excuse to eat more strawberries this summer."
The promising effects on the brain weren't the only benefits linked to the green Mediterranean diet.
The research team also spotted an improvement in insulin sensitivity, which details how your body's cells respond to insulin. High insulin sensitivity is a good thing as it allows your cells to use blood glucose more effectively, lowering the amount circulating in your bloodstream.
Prof Iris Shai, the lead author, added: "The beneficial association between the green Mediterranean diet and age-related neurodegeneration might be partially explained by the abundance of polyphenols in plant-based food sources which have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory metabolites.
"Polyphenols can cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB), reduce neuroinflammation, and induce cell proliferation and adult-onset neurogenesis in the hippocampus."
Another researcher Dr Alon Kaplan explained that these findings might suggest a "simple, safe, and promising" way to slow down age-related neurodegeneration.
The main rules are drinking the duckweed-containing shake and green tea as well as eating walnuts while cutting back on red and processed meat.
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