More signs found that Mediterranean eating reduces brain disease risk

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A new British Medical Journal study finds that people who stick to a Mediterranean diet show “slower signs of brain ageing"

Camilla Foster / DPA

Friday, 27 March 2026, 14:51

Greek yoghurt, fresh tomatoes and greens, fish so fresh it drips seawater, little by way of saturated fats or processed food and of course everything cooked in olive oil: a "Mediterranean” diet has long been lauded for helping prevent or curb diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and obesity.

In recent years, some indications published have suggested such a diet could also slow cognitive decline. A new British Medical Journal study carried out by a multinational team of nutritionists and doctors has found possibly the clearest indications to date that eating Mediterranean can be “favourably linked to lower risk of neurodegenerative diseases".

Led by Changzheng Yuan of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, the researchers assessed health information for 1,647 “middle-aged and older” people over a median follow-up period of around 12 years.

The data suggest “greater adherence” to a Mediterranean diet “was associated with slower decline in total grey matter volume", according to the team, which included researchers from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston University School of Medicine, Harbin Institute of Technology and the University of Edinburgh.

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