Israeli-led study finds green and Mediterranean diets slow brain aging
A joint study led by Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU), in collaboration with Harvard University and the University of Leipzig, has identified biological evidence that diet can directly slow brain aging. Published in Clinical Nutrition, the research tracked nearly 300 participants over an 18-month period, combining brain MRI scans with detailed blood protein analysis.
The investigation focused on the “brain age gap,” the difference between the MRI-predicted brain age and chronological age. A positive gap indicates accelerated brain decline, while a negative gap suggests slower aging.
Such measurements are significant in conditions like mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease.
The DIRECT PLUS trial, one of the largest brain MRI dietary studies worldwide, divided participants into three groups following different diets. Previous findings have shown that both traditional and green-Mediterranean diets reduce brain atrophy by approximately 50% within one to one and a half years—the new research builds on this by mapping blood proteins linked to brain aging.
Among the 90 proteins studied, Galectin-9 and Decorin stood out. Elevated levels of these proteins have been tied to Alzheimer’s disease and other degenerative conditions.
A green-Mediterranean diet
Prof. Iris Shai of BGU, the study’s lead investigator, described the work in a press release as “an advance in the field of nutri-omics – the integration of nutrition with omics technologies – opening new avenues for targeted dietary strategies against neurological decline.”
Dafna Pachter, the first author, noted the potential for a simple blood test to measure brain status through protein signatures. Dr. Anat Yaskolka-Meir of Harvard added that analyzing circulating proteins allows scientists “to observe in real-life settings how lifestyle influences brain aging long before symptoms appear.”
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