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With age, our brains become smaller and this is why our risk of having a stroke, Alzheimer's disease or dementia increases. This is the reason why we experience memory loss as we grow old. The scientists say that the people who follow a regular routine of healthy lifestyle are able to maintain healthy brains as compared to people who are not very cautious about their diet and/or exercise. The latest study published in the Neurology journal shows that how an easy-to-follow-diet can actually reduce the age of your brain by 5 years. For the purpose of the study, the researchers studied the brains of 674 people with an average age of 80 years. These elderly people were asked to fill the food surveys where they had to mention what they ate last year while the researchers scanned their brains. The group that was on Mediterranean diet had brains consisting of more white and gray matter, reports CNN.

The Mediterranean diet is very easy to follow and consists of eating meals that are made up of mostly plants such as beans, cereals, vegetables and fruits. In this diet, you can consume poultry and fish twice a week and you don't have to restrain from carbs. In fact, in this diet, you are required to eat three servings of carbs everyday, especially from the whole grains food section. You can also have a glass of wine everyday. However, you are required to limit the intake of meat, saturated fat and dairy. You are also required to cook using the olive oil and refrain from using the butter, according to NYC Today.

There have been plenty of researches so far that support the Mediterranean diet and its overall health benefits. The researchers say that the individuals that follow this diet are healthier and have a younger brain. The lead author of the study, Yian Gu at the Columbia University in New York said that the brain shrinkage that is linked to brain degenerative conditions can be reduced significantly by consuming Mediterranean Diet, says CNN.