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MONDAY, Feb. 13 (HealthDay News) -- Eating a Mediterranean-style diet appears to reduce damage to small blood vessels in the brain, a new study says.

Researchers tracked the brain health of almost a thousand people who completed a questionnaire that scored how closely they followed a Mediterranean-type regimen. This diet emphasizes plant-based foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes and nuts, and using olive oil rather than fats like butter, according to the American Heart Association. The diet discourages eating red meat more than a few times a month, if at all, and advises taking in moderate amounts of fish and poultry. Red wine, in moderation, is optional.

The researchers found that about 27 percent of the participants scored relatively low (ranging from 0-3 on a 10-point scale) in terms of keeping to this type of diet, while about 26 percent scored relatively high, from 6 to 9 points.

The people enrolled in the study also underwent brain MRI scans to measure "white matter hyperintensity" volume, which is a marker of small vessel damage in the brain.

The brain scans revealed a lower burden of white matter hyperintensities in people with higher Mediterranean-diet scores, even after researchers took other risk factors like smoking, high blood pressure and blood cholesterol levels into account.

"The current study suggests a possible protective association between increased consumption of a [Mediterranean diet] and small vessel damage," wrote the researchers, who were led by Hannah Gardener, of the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.

The new research appears in the February issue of the journal Archives of Neurology.

One expert said the study supports the notion that a healthy diet helps the brain.

"The study supports recommending the Mediterranean diet to help reduce cerebrovascular disease as measured by small vessel changes seen on brain MRI scans," said Dr. Keith Siller, an assistant professor in the departments of neurology and psychiatry and medical director of the Comprehensive Stroke Care Center at NYU Langone Medical Center, in New York City.

He also noted that "the benefits of the diet appear to be separate from previously assumed secondary effects on lowering blood pressure, cholesterol or glucose levels, although there was a possible connection with emphasis on monounsaturated fats in the Mediterranean diet in the form of olive oil versus consumption of saturated fats in other diet types."

Indeed, the authors' own analysis suggests that the only component of the Mediterranean diet that was independently associated with the marker for brain-vessel damage was the ratio of monounsaturated to saturated fat.

But they concluded it was likelier that the overall diet -- rather than any specific nutrients -- might somehow affect the brain.

Another expert agreed that lifestyle, including diet, is key to brain health.

"This just adds to the building body of evidence of the power of lifestyle changes, especially the Mediterranean diet, in disease modification and prevention, " said Dr. Robert Graham, an internist at Lenox Hill Hospital, in New York City.

Previous research has suggested that eating a Mediterranean diet is associated with a reduced risk of metabolic syndrome, coronary heart disease, stroke and thought and memory disorders.

More information

The American Heart Association has more about the Mediterranean diet.

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Mediterranean Diet Might Be Healthier for Brain

There doesn't seem to be one particular kind of diet that works best for treating the symptoms of ADHD, but unhealthy food could be a culprit.

While there doesn't seem to be any one particular diet that works to treat the symptoms of ADHD in children, a review of the research on various dietary regimens suggests that plain old healthy eating may work the best.

Dr. J. Gordon Millichap, a neurologist, and Michelle M. Yee, a nurse-practitioner, both researchers at Children's Memorial Hospital and Northwestern University in Chicago, reviewed 70 studies dating back to 1976 on the use of diet and dietary supplements for the treatment of ADHD.

The Feingold Diet, popular in the 1970s, advocated the avoidance of foods like lunch meats, hot dogs, soda, apples, grapes, anything with orange or red food coloring, and certain food preservatives. Symptom relief was claimed in over half of hyperactive children treated with the diet; however, subsequent controlled studies did not show the diet to be effective. In their review, the authors stated, "An occasional child might react adversely to dyes and preservatives in food and might benefit from their elimination," and suggested that parents who wish to try this approach need patience, perseverance, and frequent evaluation by a supportive physician and dietitian.

Sugar has long been blamed for the hyperactive behavior of children, and artificial sweeteners have been included in the mix as well. Parents of children with ADHD frequently state that their child's behavior worsens after the ingestion of sugar or diet soda. While it is entirely possible that some children may be sensitive to these ingredients, most studies showed no link with sugar or aspartame and ADHD. The researchers point out, however, that the perception is so universally accepted in the opinions of parents of children with ADHD that no study or physician is likely to ever change that perception.

Supplements of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acid have also been suggested as a treatment for ADHD. Millichap and Yee have used them in their work with ADHD at Children's Memorial Hospital, and described occasional reports of improvement in grades and ADHD symptoms when used as initial or add-on therapy. In the report, however, they pointed out that there is no proof of their effectiveness though there seems to be a link between low levels of fatty acids and ADHD.

Past studies have suggested a reduction in ADHD symptoms when an elimination or "hypoallergenic" diet is followed. This type of diet eliminates common allergy-inducing foods like nuts, cow's milk, cheese, wheat cereal, and chocolate and replaces them with hypoallergenic foods such as lamb, carrots, pears, tapioca, and potatoes. While the diet may be effective for some kids, there are mixed opinions on its efficacy, and diagnosing a food sensitivity is "complex, time-consuming, and burdensome for patient, family, and physician."

A recent Australian study looked at the relationship between dietary patterns and ADHD. Kids who ate a Western diet, one that is high in total fat, saturated fat, refined sugars, and sodium, and deficient in omega-3 fatty acids, fiber, and folate, were significantly more likely to have ADHD than those who ate a healthy diet, one that is rich in fish, vegetables, fruit, legumes, and whole-grain foods. The study authors concluded that, "a modification of the child's dietary pattern may offer an alternative method of treatment to ADHD and less reliance on medications."

The review article was published in Pediatrics.

Image: Suzanne Tucker/Shutterstock.

This article originally appeared on TheDoctorWillSeeYouNow.com, an Atlantic partner site.

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A Western Diet High in Sugars and Fat Could Contribute to ADHD

Fresh herbs and veggies aren't just tasty: they're lifesavers

Grant Cornett for TIME

In the fall of 1957, a Minnesota doctor named Ancel Keys traveled from Naples to the southern Italian town of Nicotera. The road was long and dusty, winding for hours into the mountainous toe of the Italian boot. But the trip was worth it. Keys, a physiologist who had spent World War II developing combat food rations, was searching for the answer to one of the great questions of healthy living: Why did heart attacks plague some groups of people (say, Minnesota businessmen) while leaving others (southern Italian farmers, for instance) nearly untouched?

Keys spent his stay in Nicotera measuring body-fat...

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Eat Like an Italian: How the Mediterranean Diet Is Under Threat

Put down your diet soda and listen up. The bubbly zero calorie drink may increase your risk of heart disease, according to new research.

For decades, manufacturers marketed diet colas as a healthier diet-conscious alternative to regular sodas that contain large amounts of sugars linked to health risks such as obesity and diabetes.

Subsequent research tied diet sodas, which replace sugar with exotic sweeteners such as aspartame or stevia, with increase risks for heart disease.

"Our results suggest a potential association between daily diet soft drink consumption and vascular outcomes," Hannah Gardener, epidemiologist at the University of Miami's Miller School of Medicine and lead author of the study, said in a statement. Researchers at Columbia University in New York City also contributed to the study.

The Journal of General Internal Medicine published the study online Jan. 27.

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The researchers looked into the diet soda drinking habits of 2,564 residents of northern Manhattan over a 10-year period and found that those who drank diet soda daily had increased risks for vascular disease, including heart disease and stroke.

The researchers controlled the volunteers for several factors such as smoking, physical activity, body mass index, diet and alcohol consumption.

No risk was found for people who drank regular soft drinks or drank diet sodas from time to time. The correlation was only found with daily diet soda drinkers.

Daily diet soda drinkers were 43 percent more likely to have had a stroke or heart attack, according to the researchers.

The results lit up comment boards with skepticism about the study, saying it was correlational but didn't point to a cause.

"Amazing what passes for science in the medical field. Ever notice that shark attacks increase when ice cream sales increase?" Jason Bender from Livonia, Mich. wrote on a Yahoo board. "It has nothing to do with it being summertime... Just don't eat ice cream or you will get attacked by sharks!"

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Diet Soda: Research Sparks Debate on Risks of Heart Disease, Stroke

Diet soda may seem to be a healthier alternative to calorie-laden regular soda, but a new study shows that people who regularly drink diet soft drinks may be putting their hearts at risk.

Those who drank diet soda on a daily basis were at an increased risk of experiencing stroke, heart attack and death due to these conditions, according to the study.

"Our results suggest a potential association between daily diet soft drink consumption and vascular outcomes," study researcher Hannah Gardener, an epidemiologist at the University of Miami's Miller School of Medicine, said in a statement.[5 Experts Answer: Is Diet Soda Bad for You?]

To analyze the relationship between both diet and regular soft drink consumption and heart disease, researchers studied the data of 2,564 participants in the Northern Manhattan Study, which was designed to determine stroke incidence, risk factors and prognosis in a multiethnic urban population.

Working in collaboration with researchers at the Columbia University Medical Center, Gardener and her colleagues looked at how often each participant drank soft drinks, whether the beverages were diet or regular, and the number of strokes, heart attacks and heart-disease related deaths that occurred among the participants over a 10-year period.

After taking into account pre-existing conditions, such as diabetes and high blood pressure, the researchers found that people who drank diet soft drinks daily were 43 percent more likely to have had a stroke or heart attack, or died of heart disease, than those who did not drink diet soda.

The study also showed that those who drank less diet soda (who drank it between once a month and six times a week), as well as people who drank regular soft drinks, were not more likely to suffer vascular events.

Previous research has also linked diet soda with a higher risk of stroke and heart attack.  

The researchers noted that it remains unclear how soft drinks may affect a person's risk of heart disease.

"There is a need for further research before any conclusions can be drawn regarding the potential health consequences of diet soft drink consumption," Gardener said.

The study was published Jan. 26 in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.

Pass it on: People who drink diet soft drinks on a daily basis may be putting themselves at an increased risk of suffering vascular events such as stroke, heart attack and vascular death.

This story was provided by MyHealthNewsDaily, a sister site to LiveScience. Follow Remy Melina on Twitter @remymelina, and follow MyHealthNewsDaily @MyHealth_MHND. Like us on Facebook.

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Diet Soda Linked to Heart Disease Risk

13-03-2011 01:29 http://www.WeightGainMethod.com -? Discover How To Gain Weight and Build Muscle Fast! If you're not sure what kind of foods you need in your muscle building diet, this video should help you out. I went to the grocery store today and stocked up on a bunch of muscle building foods that I always include in my diet. Now this isn't an all inclusive list of food to include in your muscle-building diet but it should give you a good idea of the kind of stuff you should be eating. (I just went out and got the things I was running out of.) Here are the foods I picked up in this video -Water! -Lean ground beef -Chicken -Walnuts -Almonds -Spinach -Whole Wheat Bread -Brown Rice -Bananas -Tuna -Yams -Cottage Cheese -Yogurt -Eggs I hope you got some ideas from this video about the kind of foods to include in your muscle building diet... And if you want more tips on how to build muscle fast, got to: http://www.WeightGainMethod.com

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Muscle Building Diet - The Best Foods To Build Muscle - Video

07-02-2012 05:54 It's four weeks into Kelly Bowerbank's fitness course with Efua Baker, body sculptor to Hollywood stars including Sienna Miller and Christian Bale. Here, they run through the routines Efua has designed for Kelly and discuss Kelly's diet. Kelly's aim: to turn up to her friend's office in a bikini

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Get fit like a film star: training and diet - the Guardian - Video

06-02-2012 20:28 http://www.reddit.com ASK ME ANYTHING! the ultimate food challenge. Post a video response! i dare you! make sure to send to all your friends! http://www.facebook.com the gauntlet includes the following 6 Habanero peppers 15 warheads 2 packs of mentos with diet coke cinnamon a gallon of milk.

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The Gauntlet Challenge - Video

07-02-2012 10:31 Popcorn, cheese nachos, giant sodas -- no surprise movie food is a diet buster, but just how great is the damage? Consumer Reports conducted nutritional tests to find out.

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Diet busting movie theater food - Video

06-02-2012 12:08 Updates, lack of sleep, Agave Nectar, Paleo, Food, Awesome link originally shared by MissAndyJean88: mariahealth.blogspot.com definately go check out this blog- it is amazing!

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HCG Diet R2 vlcd 23 Food for Thought - Video

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