As people grow older, the brain naturally starts to shrink, a process called brain atrophy. This gradual loss of brain cells can lead to memory problems and slower thinking. While it’s part of aging, scientists are looking for ways to slow it down.
A recent study from Ben-Gurion University and an international research team suggests that controlling blood sugar levels through diet may help keep the brain healthier and slow its aging process.
Our brains age at different rates, and one person’s brain may look “younger” or “older” than their actual age. For instance, a healthy, “younger” brain may mean better thinking skills, while a faster-aging brain could indicate a higher risk of memory issues.
Brain scans, specifically MRI, are used to measure brain health by looking at certain areas, such as the hippocampus (important for memory) and the lateral ventricles (which often expand with age).
These measurements help scientists understand if the brain is aging faster or slower than expected for a given person.
The study, published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, took place over 18 months and involved about 300 participants. They were divided into three groups, each following a different diet.
By comparing brain MRI scans before and after the trial, researchers noticed that participants who controlled their blood sugar levels better experienced less brain shrinkage. Specifically, those on a green-Mediterranean diet showed the most significant results.
The Mediterranean diet, already known for its heart benefits, focuses on vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts, and olive oil.
The green-Mediterranean diet is similar but adds even more plant-based foods high in polyphenols—natural compounds found in plants that can support brain health.
Participants on the green-Mediterranean diet ate foods like green tea and Mankai, an aquatic plant rich in protein and nutrients. This diet encourages reducing red and processed meats, which can have negative health effects.
One of the main findings from this study is the link between blood sugar control and brain health. A marker called HbA1c, which indicates average blood sugar levels over the past three months, showed that participants with lower HbA1c levels had healthier brains.
In particular, lower HbA1c was linked to positive changes in brain regions like the thalamus, caudate nucleus, and cerebellum.
These areas are key for skills like memory, movement, and sensing the world around us. Improved blood sugar levels may help protect these areas from aging too fast.
The DIRECT PLUS trial is one of the largest and longest brain MRI studies to examine how diet can affect brain health over time. The researchers used advanced tools to analyze the MRI scans and measure brain health.
They also used a measure called Hippocampal Occupancy (HOC), which indicates brain age and is known to predict the risk of dementia. Normally, HOC decreases with age, but in this study, some participants showed slower decreases, suggesting their brains aged more slowly.
Results showed that the green-Mediterranean diet helped participants lower their blood sugar levels, which may have slowed down brain aging. Those who drank more green tea and Mankai shakes had the best results in both blood sugar control and brain health.
This finding supports the idea that polyphenols in plant-based foods may play an important role in protecting the brain. Polyphenols can pass through the blood-brain barrier and may reduce brain inflammation, which is often linked to memory problems and other cognitive issues.
Prof. Iris Shai, a senior researcher from Ben-Gurion University and a leader of the study, explained that keeping blood sugar levels low, even within normal ranges, seems to help preserve a “younger” brain.
She highlighted the role of polyphenols, which are found in foods like green tea and plants, in reducing brain inflammation. This might be important for maintaining memory as we age.
This study stands out because it directly connects diet to both blood sugar levels and brain health in a large group of people.
Although more research is needed to understand exactly how these processes work, the findings suggest that simple dietary changes, like following a green-Mediterranean diet, could potentially help people maintain better brain health as they age.
If you care about diabetes, please read studies about high vitamin D level linked to lower dementia risk in type 2 diabetes, and this eating habit could help reduce risk of type 2 diabetes.
For more information about nutrition, please see recent studies about unhealthy plant-based diets linked to metabolic syndrome, and results showing Mediterranean diet could help reduce the diabetes risk by 30%.
The research findings can be found in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
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