How Healthy Diets Like the Mediterranean Diet Help Protect Brain Health

• A new study finds that across different races and ethnicities, the metabolites from healthier diets may help protect brain health.
• Diet is an important source of many metabolites, which can be markers of various aspects of our health.
• Past research has found that certain metabolites — including lipids, amino acids, and steroids — are linked with cognitive decline and dementia.

New research from investigators at Brigham and Women’s Hospital has further confirmed what is already known about the link between diet and cognition — that what we eat can impact our brain health.

Metabolites from healthier diets, such as the Mediterranean diet, were associated with stronger cognitive function while metabolites from diets higher in sugar were associated with poorer cognitive function, according to the report, which was published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia onFriday.

The researchers also demonstrated that these findings can be generalized to different races and ethnicities.

“Research like this shows us that what we eat can have profound effects on brain function. Diet is about much more than just your weight; it impacts how your brain and body function and can have significant effect on your mental and physical health,” Dr. Christopher Palmer, an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and author of Brain Energy, said.