What is the Green Mediterranean diet? Its health benefits and protection against dementia

This is the 74th instalment in a series on dementia, including the research into its causes and treatment, advice for carers, and stories of hope.

The food you eat has a profound and reciprocal impact on your brain. While a diet heavy in processed foods, saturated fats, sugar and too much salt significantly raises the risk of cognitive decline and neurodegenerative diseases like dementia, a smart diet offers comprehensive protection.

A “good” diet safeguards your brain by supplying essential nutrients and antioxidants that protect nerve cells, support neuroplasticity – the ability to form new connections – and drastically cut down on inflammation, which is a primary driver of brain ageing.

The Mediterranean diet is a way of eating centred on minimally processed foods, featuring a diverse array of plants and healthy fats.

The Mediterranean diet is a proven brain booster. Photo: Shutterstock

The Green Mediterranean diet builds on that model, Hong Kong-based functional nutritionist Beth Wright says. It maintains the same foundation but incorporates more polyphenol-rich foods, such as green tea, walnuts and Mankai duckweed, which deliver many brain-health benefits.