A Link Between the Mediterranean Diet and Mental Acuity in Seniors

There are a lot of things that people have traditionally advised to do to alleviate, or, in some cases, prevent the onset, and/or severity of various conditions and symptoms associated with aging. One area of particular concern with seniors and those contemplating making their senior years more enjoyable, healthful, and productive is that of mental acuity.

They are particularly concerned with the subject of the mental decline commonly associated with increasing age. Of special interest is how to prevent, or at least delay, mental confusion, dementia, and Alzheimer's disease. They tend to open themselves up to bits of anti-aging advice relevant to this topic, often more intensely than those related to health in general.

Some of these bits of advice focus on exercise, some on the maintenance of relationships and activities which keep the brain active, and some focus on nutrition.

One such recent, nutritionally related, item is the conclusion of a research study done by Rush University Medical Center in Chicago.

Specifically interested in the Mediterranean Diet, which has shown great promise in the area of physical health, researchers wanted to determine if slower brain aging might also be added to the diet's list of potential health benefits,

The Mediterranean Diet, typically associated with the consumption of a lot of wine, fruits, vegetables, legumes, olive oil and fish, buy very little red meat has appeared to be effective in improving, or at least maintaining many physical aspects of health. This particular type of nutritional intake has been linked to improvement in levels and events of heart disease, cancer and diabetes, as well as other health issues.

The researchers in the Chicago study specifically wanted to see if the typical decrease in mental ability experienced by seniors might be slowed, or even stopped, by eating such a diet.

Initial data obtained from the Chicago tests appears to indicate that, in general, eating a diet based on the Mediterranean style of eating, as opposed to the standard U.S. dietary guidelines, does indeed apparently slow the decrease in brain function. As pointed out at one point, an individual eating the Mediterranean diet, all other things being equal, could actually function as if they were a few years younger.

The researchers sought to factor out other lifestyle issues and such items as education in order to zero in on the effects of the nutritional choices themselves. However, it is the combination of such items, together with those nutritional choices and even genetic inheritance, which will eventually determine how slowly, or rapidly, old age takes over the reins and exerts control over our lives.

With this in mind, as always, I recommend regular activity, maintenance of personal relationships, lots of good sleep, and fun, in addition to a well-balanced diet, Mediterranean or otherwise, to help delay the arrival of the symptoms of aging and to ease their effects once they have made their appearance.

One piece of good news, by the way, at least for some of us, is that the consumption of red wine, a staple component of the Mediterranean diet, may be a major contributing factor to the benefits associated with consumption of the other ingredients. Red wine is rich in antioxidants and contains resveratrol which appears to have anti-aging properties of its own.

Donovan Baldwin is a 65-year-old amateur bodybuilder, freelance writer, certified optician, and Internet marketer currently living in the Dallas, Texas area. A University Of West Florida alumnus (1973) with a BA in accounting, he has been a member of Mensa and has been a Program Accountant for the Florida State Department of Education, the Business Manager of a community mental health center, and a multi-county Fiscal Consultant for an educational field office. He has also been a trainer for a major international corporation, and has managed various small businesses, including his own. After retiring from the U. S. Army in 1995, with 21 years of service, he became interested in Internet marketing and developed various online businesses. He has been writing poetry, articles, and essays for over 40 years, and now frequently publishes original articles on his own websites and for use by other webmasters. His blog, Fitness After 40, may be followed at http://fitness-after-40.blogspot.com.