Want to Keep Your Brain Young? Researchers Say This Diet Works - Video

A Green-Mediterranean diet-rich in green tea and the aquatic plant Mankai-may slow brain aging, according to new research published in the journal Clinical Nutrition. The study offers new insight into how dietary patterns can impact long-term brain health.

Neurological conditions like mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease are often associated with an elevated "brain age gap," meaning the brain appears older than a person's actual age. To examine the role of diet in brain aging, researchers analyzed data from approximately 300 participants in the DIRECT PLUS trial—one of the most extensive and long-term clinical studies exploring the relationship between nutrition and cognitive health.

Over 18 months, participants followed one of three diets: a standard healthy diet, a traditional calorie-restricted Mediterranean diet, and a green-Mediterranean diet that added daily intake of green tea and Mankai, a protein-rich aquatic plant. The Mediterranean-style diets were low in simple carbohydrates, high in vegetables, and replaced red meat with poultry and fish.

The researchers measured protein levels in the participants’ blood and discovered that elevated levels of specific proteins were linked to accelerated brain aging. Importantly, these proteins decreased significantly in individuals who adhered to the green-Mediterranean diet. The study suggests that the anti-inflammatory compounds found in green tea and Mankai may play a protective role in brain health.

“Studying the circulating proteins in blood allows us to observe, in a real-life setting, how the brain’s aging processes are influenced by lifestyle and dietary changes,” said Anat Meir, postdoctoral research fellow at Harvard Chan School, who co-led the study. “This approach gives us a dynamic window into brain health, helping to reveal biological changes long before symptoms may appear. By mapping these protein signatures, we gain powerful new insight into how interventions, such as diet, may help preserve cognitive function as we age.”

The findings build on growing evidence that personalized nutrition can play a significant role in maintaining cognitive health, particularly as the global population continues to age.

Reference: https://hsph.harvard.edu/news/green-mediterranean-diet-may-slow-brain-aging/