UNESCO's World Intangible Cultural Heritage Mediterranean Diet Proves Another Positive Role in Cognitive Function
Jan 06, 2025
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Listed on UNESCO's World Intangible Cultural Heritage list 'Mediterranean Diet' is a diet of people living on the Mediterranean coast, which has a large long-lived population and a low prevalence of chronic diseases, such as Greece and Italy. It consists mainly of fresh vegetables, fruits, whole grains, low-fat dairy products, and fish, and limits red meat as much as possible, and mainly uses vegetable fats such as olive oil and nuts instead of animal fats.
Fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids and fruits and vegetables high in antioxidants that make up the Mediterranean diet play an important role in brain health and can help prevent cognitive decline.
Demetrius M. Maraganor, a team led by a professor at the University of Tulane in the U.S., wrote in the scientific journal Gut Microbes Reports on the 6th that "In a study in which rats are fed a general Western and Mediterranean diet and observed changes in intestinal microbiota and cognitive function, the Mediterranean diet can change the balance of intestinal bacteria, thereby improving memory and cognitive ability." published the findings. However, although there is increasing evidence that diet affects the formation of intestinal microbial communities and that gut-brain axis can be involved in cognitive function, the exact mechanism by which diet affects cognitive function has not been clearly identified.
Ten-week-old young mice were divided into two groups, fed a Mediterranean diet to one group and a Western diet high in saturated fat to the other for 14 weeks, and analyzed changes in intestinal microorganisms and memory and cognition. These changes in the gut microbial community have been shown to affect the ability of mice to perform labyrinth tasks designed to test their memory and learning abilities. In particular, higher levels of bacteria, such as Candidatus Saccharimonas, improve cognitive ability, while other bacteria, such as Bifidobacterium, show lower memory ability with higher levels. In addition, cognitive flexibility, which is the ability to adapt to new information, has been improved and work memory has been improved.
Many studies have been conducted on the association of similar Mediterranean diets with cognitive health. Especially with the elderly.
Although some studies have shown that the Mediterranean diet has nothing to do with reducing dementia, several studies have previously shown that the Mediterranean diet can help prevent brain aging and improve cognitive function.
A study conducted by Dr. Ines Dominguez-Lopez of the University of Barcelona's Institute for Nutrition and Food Safety also confirmed that participants who lived well on a polyphenol-rich Mediterranean diet had higher overall cognitive scores.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
