As part of this study, by a team from the Rush University Medical Centre in Chicago, data on more than 580 participants including their dietary patterns was analysed.
Those who followed these diets were found to have less plaque and tangle – abnormal build-up of proteins called amyloid and tau thought to cause Alzheimer’s disease – in their brains.
The researchers said: “People who scored highest for adhering to the Mediterranean diet had average plaque and tangle amounts in their brains similar to being 18 years younger than people who scored lowest.”
They also found people who scored highest for adhering to the MIND diet had average plaque and tangle amounts similar to being 12 years younger than those who scored lowest.