A new study in the Netherlands shows that a healthy diet makes the brain bigger and increases the amount of gray and white matter.
Diet affects not only physical fitness but also the brain, TIME cited in Neurology. Specifically, a team of scientists from the Erasmus University Medical Center (The Netherlands) led by Professor of Epidemiology and Radiology Meike Vernooij conducted research on the relationship between diet and the brain of 4,000 volunteers.
After 10 years, the authors found that people who ate a lot of fruits, vegetables, healthy fats, and cut down on red meat and sweets had greater brain mass. Their amount of gray and white matter was also higher, and the hippocampus responsible for processing memory was in better condition.
“Healthy eating helps the brain to function efficiently, by fighting neurodegeneration,” said Ms. Vernooij. In the future, female professors and colleagues will continue to do research to explore the possibility of reducing the risk of dementia through eating habits.
