Researchers at the National Eye Institute recently evaluated data from the original AREDS and the AREDS2 studies and found that following the Mediterranean diet, a diet that is high in vegetables, whole grains, fish and olive oil, helps to protect cognitive function.
Participants in the study were given a questionnaire at the beginning of the studies to assess their diets. In addition, they were given standardized cognitive tests to determine cognitive function. What researchers found was that the participants who stuck to the Mediterranean diet the best had the lowest risk of cognitive impairment. Diets high in fish and vegetables seemed to have the most protective effect. AREDS2 participants who had the highest intake of fish had the least cognitive decline at the end of the study.
The data analysis revealed that diet plays a role in cognitive and neural health.
