May 12, 2022

4 Reasons to Try the Mediterranean Diet

About Brookdale Senior Living

brookdale taste of the mediterranean event

Recently, 399 Brookdale communities hosted “A Taste of the Mediterranean” events for residents as well as members of their surrounding communities. The events provided information on the health benefits of the Mediterranean diet and included tastings of dishes from the region, such as chicken shawarma kabobs, barley risotto, baked salmon, roasted beets and baklava.

If you missed out on the event but are looking for more info, here are just a few of the Mediterranean diet’s many benefits.

a dish served at brookdale taste of mediterranean event

1. Cognitive Function

Although cognitive decline with age was once associated with a lack of specific dietary nutrients and foods, research indicates that dietary patterns at large are what’s important. In other words, cognitive decline can’t be solely attributed to the fact that someone didn’t eat their broccoli. However, it can be correlated with a lifestyle of not eating enough fresh fruits and vegetables in general.

Per a meta-analysis conducted by the American Society of Nutrition, greater adherence to the Mediterranean diet may be associated with improvements in memory, cognitive function, processing speed and attention. It may also be associated with slower cognitive decline and reduced risk of dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease.

“High adherence to a Mediterranean diet has been associated with a reduced risk of cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease, as well as slower cognitive decline,” says Brookdale Director of Nutrition Sara Casey. As it turns out, a daily apple (and a banana and some spinach and maybe some olives too) really can help keep the doctor away.

1. Cognitive Function

2. Cardiovascular Function

You may already be exercising, but did you know subscribing to the Mediterranean diet could help keep your heart healthy too? According to the American Journal of Medicine, the benefits offered by the Mediterranean diet rival those associated with standard tools used to combat cardiovascular disease (e.g. aspirin, beta-blockers, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and exercise). This makes the Mediterranean diet one of the more evidence-based and best-studied dietary means of reducing cardiovascular disease.

For an extra boost, incorporate olive oil in your diet. Studies suggest that a Mediterranean diet supplemented with olive oil can help reduce the incidence of major cardiovascular events even further.

3. Sleep Quality

It’s easy to grasp the importance of a good night’s sleep — especially the day after you’ve tossed and turned all night long. But did you know that poor sleep quality can be associated with cognitive decline and dementia? “If someone does not get enough sleep on a regular basis, they can be at a higher risk for health problems,” Sara says.

Fortunately, the Mediterranean diet may help. In a study of 1,936 adults, a total of 1,314 adults — 67.9% — reported that they slept better at night while adhering to the Mediterranean diet. The potential benefits for older adults may be even greater. One study of 1,596 adults of at least 60 years of age showed that high adherence to the Mediterranean diet may help a senior get two or more additional hours of sleep per night.

guests at brookdale taste of the mediterranean event

4. Longer Life

If the previous benefits haven’t been enough to sway you, this one might pique your interest. Researchers at Harvard found in 2014 that following the Mediterranean diet was associated with longer telomeres, which are biological markers of aging that protect the ends of our chromosomes.

In simple terms, they found that the Mediterranean diet was linked to longevity on a genetic level. These results were reflected by a study performed by the University of Athens Medical School, which found that the diet was correlated with “longer survival.”

A separate Swedish study suggests that “adherence to a Mediterranean-like dietary pattern is inversely related to total mortality.” No matter the region, the results are clear: the Mediterranean diet may help increase the quality and length of your life.

4. Longer Life

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