How To Protect Your Memory? Researchers Tracked Diet and Memory in Older People for 6 Years (One Dietary Pattern Stood Out)

A major 6-year dietary study tracking older adults found that one specific food pattern—not simply eating less fat—was linked to better memory outcomes. Researchers led by Cinta Valls-Pedret at Hospital Clínic in Barcelona followed 447 cognitively healthy participants with high cardiovascular risk, including hypertension, elevated cholesterol, or type 2 diabetes. Groups followed either a standard low-fat diet or a Mediterranean-style pattern with weekly extra virgin olive oil or daily 30g mixed nuts. Over a median 4.1 years, the low-fat group’s cognitive scores declined, while the Mediterranean groups held steady or improved. Results were published in JAMA Internal Medicine in 2015.