A Mediterranean diet can help older adults maintain bigger brains, research has shown.
People who followed the diet closely over three years experienced less age-related brain shrinkage than those who did not, scientists found.
The Mediterranean diet is rich in vegetables, fruits, olive oil, beans and cereal grains and includes moderate amounts of fish, dairy products and wine while limiting consumption of red meat and poultry.
Scientists in Scotland carried out brain scans on 401 people in their 70s who provided information about what they ate.
Those who adhered most closely to a Mediterranean diet retained significantly greater brain volume after three years than those with different eating habits.
News that makes sense
Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.
Diet accounted for about half the variation in brain volume seen across all the study participants.
"As we age, the brain shrinks and we lose brain cells, which can affect learning and memory," said lead researcher Dr Michelle Luciano, from the University of Edinburgh.
"This study adds to the body of evidence that suggests the Mediterranean diet has a positive impact on brain health."
Eating more fish and less meat was not associated with differences between people's brains, contrary to earlier findings.
Luciano said previous studies carried out measurements in a single "snapshot", while the new research followed participants over time.
"In our study, eating habits were measured before brain volume was, which suggests that the diet may be able to provide long-term protection to the brain. Larger studies are needed to confirm these results."
The findings appear in the journal Neurology.
