Menu
Dr. Weil Logo Dr. Weil Logo Weil™ Andrew Weil, M.D.
  • Health & Wellness
    Health & Wellness
    Body, Mind & Spirit
    • Addiction
    • Allergy & Asthma
    • Autoimmune Disorders
    • Back Pain
    • Bone & Joint
    • Cancer
    • Colds & Flu
    • Dental & Oral
    • Diabetes
    • Disease & Disorders
    • Ears, Nose, & Throat
    • Feet
    • Gastrointestinal
    • Hair, Skin, & Nails
    • Headache
    • Heart
    • Insects & Parasites
    • Liver & Kidney
    • Mental Health
    • Pregnancy & Fertility
    • Respiratory
    • Sexual Health
    • Sleep Issues
    • Stress & Anxiety
    • Vision
    Balanced Living
    • Exercise & Fitness
    • Gardening
    • Healthy Home
    • Healthy Living
    • Meditation & Inspiration
    • Meet Dr. Weil
    • Pets & Pet Care
    • Technology
    • Wellness Therapies
    Health Centers
    • Aging Gracefully
    • Children
    • Condition Care Guide
    • Men
    • Women
  • Diet & Nutrition
    Diet & Nutrition
    Anti-Inflammatory Diet & Pyramid
    Anti-Inflammatory Diet Pyramid
    Cooking & Cookware
    Healthy Cooking & Cookware
    Diets & Weight Loss
    Diets & Weight Loss
    Food Safety
    Diets & Nutrition - Food Safety
    Nutrition
    healthy nutrition
    Recipes
    healthy recipes
  • Vitamins, Supplements & Herbs
    Vitamins, Supplements & Herbs
    Herbs
    herbal remedies - herbs
    Supplements & Remedies
    suppliments & remedies
    Vitamins
    ask-dr-weil_vitamins-supplements-herbs_vitamins-topnav
  • Ask Dr. Weil
  • Blogs
    Blogs
    Bulletins
    The Legacy Of Living Yes | Spontaneous Happiness | Andrew Weil, M.D.
    Health Tips
    Healthy Drinks To Start Sipping | Andrew Weil, M.D.
    Spontaneous Happiness
    blog_spontaneous-happiness_topnav
  • COVID-19
  • Dr. Weil Origins Skin Care
  • Marketplace
  • Healthy Aging
  • Podcasts
  • Meet Dr. Weil
  • Accessibility
  • Subscribe
Diet For A Bigger Brain
Subscribe
Press "Enter" to search
  1. Home
  2. Blog
  3. Bulletins

Diet For A Bigger Brain

diet for bigger brain
1 min

The healthier your diet, the bigger your brain is likely to be. Researchers from the Netherlands arrived at this conclusion after 10 years of following more than 4,200 people whose average age was 66. They asked the participants to complete a questionnaire asking about their consumption of nearly 400 different foods and also measured their brains with MRI scans over the 10 year period. Results showed that people with the healthiest diets – those including an abundance of fruits and vegetables, nuts, fish, whole grains and dairy and fewest sugar sweetened beverages – had the largest brain volume. The researchers also reported that the hippocampus – the part of the brain responsible for memory – was larger in the study participants with the healthiest diets. The bigger the brain the better considering that with increasing age brain size declines. While the study didn’t prove that a healthy diet was responsible for larger brain size, it did reveal a striking association between the two. Study leader Meike Vernooij of Rotterdam’s Erasmus University Medical Center suggested that sticking to a healthy diet ā€œmight be a suitable preventive strategy to maintain and augmentā€ thinking and memory in older adults.

My take? These new findings add to what we’ve learned in recent years about the Mediterranean diet and its benefit to the brain. In 2015 a study from Spain found that adding olive oil and nuts to a Mediterranean diet slowed declines in cognitive function among a group of 447 healthy seniors. Earlier observational studies showed better cognitive function and a lower-than-normal risk of dementiaĀ among people who follow the Mediterranean diet.

Bear in mind that the incidence ofĀ Alzheimer’s diseaseĀ is higher than normal among people whose diets are high in saturated fat, which may contribute to inflammation of the brain.Ā The evidence is compelling that foods compatible with the Mediterranean way of eating and following an anti-inflammatory diet can support the health of your brain as well as your body.

Source:
Meike W. Vernooij et al, ā€œBetter diet quality relates to larger brain tissue volumes.ā€ Neurology, May 16, 2018, DOI: doi.org/10.1212/WNL.0000000000005691

Also in this week’s bulletin:

  • Marriage And Chronic Pain
  • Most Fit U.S. Cities
  • Recipe: Pineapple Almond Shake

Read more tips, recipes, and insights on a wide variety of topics from Dr. Weil here.

Anti-Inflammatory Food Pyramid | Anti-Inflammatory Diet | Andrew Weil, M.D.
Anti-Inflammatory Diet & Pyramid

What Is The Anti-Inflammatory Diet And Food Pyramid?

Anti-Inflammatory Food Pyramid | Anti-Inflammatory Diet | Andrew Weil, M.D.
Anti-Inflammatory Diet & Pyramid

Dr. Weil's Anti-Inflammatory Food Pyramid

Dr. Weil on Healthy Aging

Start Your 14-Day Free Trial

Free Newsletters

Stay Connected With Dr. Weil

Anti-Inflammatory Diet

Follow Dr. Weil’s Food Pyramid

Get Dr Weils Newsletter Updates

Exclusive Lifestyle, Nutrition & Health Advice

Dr. Weil's FREE health living advice delivered to you!

By clicking "Subscribe," you agree to the DrWeil.com Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy. You also agree to receive emails from DrWeil.com, and you may opt out of DrWeil.com subscriptions at any time.

Trending Now

Gardening Yields & Health Benefits | Weekly Bulletins | Dr. Weil
Bulletins

ļæ¼Gardening Yields A Harvest Of Health Benefits

Food Dye Linked To Inflammatory Bowel Disease | Dr. Weil
Bulletins

Food Dye Linked To Inflammatory Bowel Diseaseļæ¼

Is Green Tea A Better Choice Than Coffee? | Andrew Weil, M.D.
Bulletins

Is Green Tea A Better Choice Than Coffee?

Regular Yoga Linked To Lower Heart Disease Risk
Bulletins

Regular Yoga Linked To Lower Heart Disease Risk

Get Dr Weils Newsletter Updates

Stay Connected With Dr. Weil - Get Free Newsletters Right In Your Inbox

Exclusive Lifestyle, Nutrition & Health Advice

Dr. Weil Logo Weil™ Andrew Weil, M.D.
Information
  • About Us
  • Press Information
  • Advertising
  • Contact Us
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Manage Email Subscription
Trending Articles
Gardening Yields & Health Benefits | Weekly Bulletins | Dr. Weil
Bulletins

ļæ¼Gardening Yields A Harvest Of Health Benefits

Food Dye Linked To Inflammatory Bowel Disease | Dr. Weil
Bulletins

Food Dye Linked To Inflammatory Bowel Diseaseļæ¼

Daily Tips
Optimism & Gratitude: The Power Of Positive Thinking | Andrew Weil, M.D.
Health Tips

Optimism & Gratitude: The Power Of Positive Thinking

Start The Day With Grapefruit
Health Tips

3 Reasons To Eat Grapefruit

  • Flickr
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Youtube
  • Pinterest
  • Instagram

Terms of Use | Privacy Policy

Information on this website is provided for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for the advice provided by your physician or other healthcare professional. You should not use the information on this website for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, or prescribing any medication or other treatment. Any third party offering or advertising on this website does not constitute an endorsement by Andrew Weil, M.D. or Healthy Lifestyle Brands.

©Copyright2023 Healthy Lifestyle Brands, LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. www.drweil.com