Popular diet favoured by celebs like Penelope Cruz ‘reduces risk of deadly brain disease’

A MEDITERRANEAN-style diet could reduce your risk of dementia, a study shows.

The popular eating regime, followed by celebs like Penelope Cruz and Selena Gomez, slashed the chances of the deadly disease by 17 per cent.

Chinese researchers tracked dementia rates in more than 242,000 middle-aged and older adults and compared it to how well they stuck to the MIND diet.

The diet follows similar principles to the Mediterranean diet — high levels of olive oil, vegetables, nuts and oily fish — but with a particular emphasis on berries and leafy greens like broccoli.

It was designed to use the best aspects of the Mediterranean diet and the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet, specifically to reduce the chances of dementia.

Lead researcher Hui Chen, of Zhejiang University School of Medicine in Hagzhou, said antioxidants in the foods could help protect the brain.

He said: “Adherence to the MIND diet was prospectively associated with lower dementia risk.

“MIND diet emphasises several food groups associated with brain health, such as green leafy vegetables, olive oil, and berries. 

“These food groups may confer protection against brain ageing through their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.”

Dementia affects around 944,000 people in the UK.

Alzheimer’s disease, the most common type of the condition, is caused by a build-up of proteins called amyloids in the brain.

Experts do not know exactly how this leads to the loss of brain cells, but research is continuing.

Symptoms include memory loss, difficulty concentrating and finding it hard to carry out familiar daily tasks.

Previous research has linked the MIND diet to a lower risk of cognitive decline, which can lead to dementia.