We all know that what we eat affects our body.
But did you know it can also affect our brain? Recent findings from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev suggest just that.
The Study and Its Findings
There was a big study called the DIRECT-PLUS trial. In it, 300 people took part for over a year and a half.
A smaller study was done within this big one by Prof. Galia Avidan and Dr. Gidon Levakov. Their results were put in a science magazine named eLife.
The main idea was to see if being very overweight makes our brain get old faster. The team took pictures of participants’ brains at the beginning and end of the study.
From these pictures, they could guess how old the brain was compared to the person’s actual age.
Out of all the people, 102 were very overweight.
The amazing thing was when these people lost weight, their brains looked younger! In fact, for every 1% of body weight they lost, their brain seemed to age 9 months slower than expected in the 18-month period.
Other good things were seen too, like the liver getting healthier. A healthy liver seems to be linked to a healthier brain, especially in diseases like Alzheimer’s.
A Special Diet: The Green Mediterranean Way
The scientists in the study suggested a new kind of eating called the green-Mediterranean diet. It’s a bit different from the normal Mediterranean diet we hear about. This green one has more healthy plant stuff and less meat.
People following this diet ate some walnuts every day and drank green tea. They also had a special green shake made from a plant called Mankai.
This plant has lots of good things in it like iron, vitamins, and proteins. It’s like meat but in plant form.
The Big Picture
This study tells us that what we eat and how much we weigh can affect our brain’s health. Losing weight seems to make our brain stay young.
This is important because many people around the world are gaining too much weight. So, this way of eating might be a good plan for better brain health.
If you’re interested in keeping your brain healthy, you might want to check out other studies too. Some say the Mediterranean diet can keep our brain strong, and some vitamins might lower the risk of some brain diseases.
The study’s details are in the eLife magazine. So, if we want a younger brain, maybe it’s time to think about going green – with our diet!
If you care about nutrition, please read studies about berry that can prevent cancer, diabetes, and obesity, and 12 foods that lower blood pressure.
For more information about nutrition, please see recent studies about diet to fight diabetic eye damage, and results showing these antioxidants could help reduce dementia risk.
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