Mediterranean diets—which include plenty of fruits, veggies, beans, and fish—bring more than flavor to your table. These tasty diets offer many disease-fighting benefits as well. Studies have shown they can cut the risk for high blood pressure, heart disease, and several types of cancer. But Mediterranean diets also may fight Alzheimer’s disease, which is responsible for about 70 percent of dementia cases.

Research Reveals Brain-Food Link
A report in the Archives of Neurology found that people who ate a Mediterranean diet had a much lower risk for Alzheimer’s disease. The top one-third of people—those who followed the diet most closely—had a 68 percent lower risk for Alzheimer’s disease, compared with those in the bottom third.

Another study, in the Annals of Neurology, found that older adults who ate a Mediterranean diet for about four years had a 40 percent lower rate of developing Alzheimer’s disease compared with people who didn’t follow the diet.

Researchers think the antioxidants in fruits, vegetables, and other foods in the Mediterranean diet may help protect the brain against damage that might lead to Alzheimer’s. Or these foods may help control inflammation in the brain, which could contribute to the disease.

Tour the Mediterranean from Your Kitchen
To give your meals a Mediterranean flavor:

• Drink a glass of pomegranate juice with breakfast.
• For a snack, dip slices of fruit into low-fat yogurt.
• Try a bean or vegetable soup for lunch, such as a zesty gazpacho.
• Roll a fillet of white fish around some cooked spinach and mushrooms. Season it with oregano, garlic, and sherry, then bake.
• Sauté broccoli rabe or other greens with tomatoes, olive oil, and garlic for a quick side dish.

Find Delicious Recipes Online
Search our library for recipes that contain brain-boosting Mediterranean ingredients, like fish, fruits, vegetables, and nuts. Go to www.paramounthealthcare.com, click on “Better Health for Life,” “Library,” and then “Healthy Recipes.”