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Would you try the ‘Green’ Mediterranean Diet for better brain health?

February 11, 2022 20 Comments

We’ve long extolled the virtues of the Mediterranean diet as one of the most effective ways to age well. Heavily researched for decades, it’s the gold standard nutritional pattern for healthy longevity. A quick primer: the Mediterranean diet isn’t a ‘diet’ at all, but a way of eating traditional to southern Europe. It’s heavy on brightly coloured vegetables and fruit, beans, pulses, olive oil and herbs; it includes whole grains, nuts, fish and a little red wine, and limits red meat, processed foods and sugar.

It’s a way of eating which grew out of poverty and lack, where processed food, sugar and meat were too expensive to consume regularly or simply not available. Following the diet has been linked to a reduction of almost all the chronic conditions of ageing, and a lower risk of death overall.

Sounds pretty good, doesn’t it? But now a research programme based in Israel has put a new spin on the Medi diet, creating a ‘green’ version to amplify the effects of the traditional one.

HOW THE GREEN MEDI DIET WORKS

The Green MED Diet limits calories to 1400 a day, and includes 28g (1oz) of walnuts, several cups of green tea and a dinner replacement of a green shake made from 100g of duckweed. DUCKWEED?!? If that’s your reaction, then it’s the same as mine. I’d never heard of Mankai duckweed, aka water lentil, until I read this research. It’s a high-protein, aquatic plant which is sold in powdered form.

In the interests of research, and on your behalf, I bought a tub of duckweed from Victoria Health . * UPDATE 30/11/22 – SEE BELOW*  It’s very green indeed and 500g cost me £22 + postage. So 100g a day would work out at about a fiver a day**. Not cheap. It’s mild in taste and I don’t notice it in smoothies. Chugging back 100g of it in water was a bit of challenge, but I felt I had to take one for the team. Not sure I will again though. Its nutritional content is impressive – it’s a good source of B12 and contains all nine amino acids.

The participants in the Israeli study also took part in physical activity programmes based on aerobic exercise, including free gym memberships. It’s worth noting that all the participants were obese and/or had high cholesterol levels when they started the programme.

** Huge thanks to one of our followers who discovered that the participants in the trial used fresh duckweed in their drinks (yuck) so we need considerably less of the dried product to get the same effect. Follow the instructions for the product you buy.

WHAT DID THEY FIND?

Late in 2020 the research team published on the impact on heart health of following the Green MED Diet for six months. They found that participants lost weight – around 6kg on average: unsurprising considering the low calorie intake. Other cohorts in the study followed either the traditional Medi diet – and lost around 5.5kg – or a diet based on standard ‘healthy guidelines’ where participants lost 1.5kg.

But they also found that the Green MED group had the best results for lower blood pressure, improved ‘bad’ cholesterol levels, better insulin resistance and lower inflammatory markers.

But what really sparked my interest in this research were findings, published last month, that following the diet seems to slow age-related brain atrophy. The researchers discovered a significant reduction in brain atrophy over 18 months in those who adhered to both Mediterranean diets: with greater magnitude in the green-MED group, specifically among participants over age 50.

WHY DOES IT WORK?

Harvard Professor Meir Stampfer, who we interviewed for The Age-Well Project, is an author on the research, “The Mediterranean diet has proven benefits, but we thought it might be improved upon by adding more foods rich in polyphenols and further reducing red meat,” he said.

Polyphenols are the active element in plants, the antioxidants which have a powerful impact on our health. We’ve written before about oxidation – that rusting process inside our bodies which builds up as we age. When we eat plants, they gift us the powerful systems which protect them from disease and predators to help us with that oxidation process. I talked about polyphenols in depth in my Age-Well Reboot webinar last week- you can catch the replay here.

The Green MED research team believe that the abundance of polyphenols in the diet delivers anti-inflammatory antioxidants which cross the blood brain barrier. This reduces inflammation in the brain and allows it to create new neurons in the hippocampus (the learning and memory centre of the brain). The researchers used MRI scans of the brain to track increased volume in the hippocampus of participants.

Of course, if you take a group of overweight people who don’t exercise and put them on a strict diet full of good things, their health is bound to improve. But would you drink a daily (large) dose of duckweed for improved brain health? Let me know in the comments below. Annabel’s already told me she won’t be downing duckweed! I can’t say I’ve added it to my Age-Well routine. but I am using up the large tub I bought in smoothies and dressings. And I’m taking the key learning from this research and making sure I get all the benefits of polyphenols from lots of green veg and green tea.

READY TO EAT WELL TO AGE WELL?

Would you like complete clarity about what to put on your plate each day to age well? I’m running my Eat Well to Age Well online course again to help you make – and stick to – healthy food choices so good nutrition for longevity becomes effortless. We start on Tuesday Feb 15th 2022 at 0800 GMT. Click here for all the details. (Update 30/11/22 –  if you’re interested in the course for early 2023, email me at hello@susansaundershealth.com with the word WAITLIST and I’ll send you details when it’s ready)

 

UPDATE 30/11/22 – I bought duckweed from Victoria Health. The link I gave above now goes to to Moringa powder – also powerful, but different. I think, following the sudden HUGE interest in duckweed, they’ve sold out. This brand has also sold out.

Thank you for reading this far. If you’d like our regular-ish blog posts in your inbox, please leave your email address in the ‘subscribe’ box in the top right-hand corner of the home page. 

 

Susan

 

Photo: Christina Rumpf for Unsplash

 

  • Conditions: Alzheimer's, Brain and Dementia, Heart, Heart disease, High blood pressure
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Comments

  1. Charles says

    February 16, 2022 at 11:01 am

    Why take something that works and then fiddle with it? Mum was brought up in the Med and it’s a good diet as it is. I find if I limit the amount of processed food and don’t eat in the morning it works very well.

    Reply
    • Susan Saunders says

      February 16, 2022 at 12:13 pm

      Good point Charles! Sounds like you have a really good protocol that works for you

      Reply
  2. Sharon Walls says

    November 30, 2022 at 12:17 am

    Where can I find duckweed powder? what kind did you use?

    Reply
    • Susan Saunders says

      November 30, 2022 at 9:21 am

      Thanks Sharon. I bought duckweed from Victoria Health. The link I gave in the article now goes to to Moringa powder – also powerful, but different. I think, following the sudden HUGE interest in duckweed, they’ve sold out. What’s going on? We’ve had thousands of hits on this blog post in the last 24 hours! What sparked your interest in duckweed??

      Reply
      • Wendy says

        December 8, 2022 at 2:38 pm

        An article summarizing the results of an 18 month study popped up on several news feeds. I’ve been shopping for the powder but no luck. I will try your link. Thanks!

        Reply
        • Susan Saunders says

          December 8, 2022 at 2:46 pm

          Thanks Wendy – and good luck with your hunt for duckweed! It seems to be sold out everywhere!

          Reply
  3. Sara Kuijten says

    November 30, 2022 at 11:02 am

    What an interesting study! I’m a nutrition student (hopefully a qualified nutritionist by May next year) and always thought the Mediterranean Diet is a good (and also achievable for most) diet for health. I drink Matcha tea daily but not sure I’d stretch to duckweed (the cost alone whilst raising a family would put me off!) . No doubt it’ll become the next big ‘superfood’ health fad for those who can afford it!

    Reply
    • Susan Saunders says

      November 30, 2022 at 11:35 am

      Thanks so much Sara – and good luck in your studies! How did you find out about duckweed? We’ve had thousands of hits on this post from the beginning of the year but can’t work out why!

      Reply
      • Sara Kuijten says

        November 30, 2022 at 3:14 pm

        Hi Susan,

        I saw the Daily Mail article about the Green Mediterranean Diet published yesterday and when I googled Duckweed, your article was about 4th or 5th down the list!

        I hadn’t heard of it until I read that article! x

        Reply
        • Susan Saunders says

          November 30, 2022 at 3:59 pm

          That explains a lot! Thanks so much Sara

          Reply
  4. Mary says

    November 30, 2022 at 12:18 pm

    Neuroscience News reported on this study recently, and they have a large following on Twitter. I was unfamiliar with duckweed, and Google produced your site in the top 3. Perhaps others found you as a result of additional reporting on the study.

    Thanks for the clear explanation, and report on cost/taste of duckweed.

    Reply
    • Susan Saunders says

      November 30, 2022 at 12:52 pm

      Ah that explains it! Thanks so much for letting us know Mary. I’m glad the blog post was helpful

      Reply
  5. Heather C says

    November 30, 2022 at 1:06 pm

    https://mol.im/a/11481457

    This article led me to search for duckweed.

    Reply
    • Susan Saunders says

      November 30, 2022 at 1:13 pm

      ahhh now I get it! Thanks so much Heather, a big Mail article like that would explain it

      Reply
  6. Leo says

    December 1, 2022 at 7:10 pm

    I was looking for the Duckweed plant powder and came across tablets of that could be swallowed. Would this work as effectively as the powder?

    Reply
    • Susan Saunders says

      December 2, 2022 at 1:19 pm

      Good question Leo, I’m not sure! I think it should do because you’re still getting the same nutrients. Making a shake with the powder does mean you’re also getting lots of water though, so make sure you stay hydrated if you take the tablets. Let us know how you get on

      Reply
  7. Ruth Barrett says

    February 14, 2023 at 1:11 am

    omg I bought some from Panet Duckweed, but there serving size is only 5g. I had to double check your and their numbers to be sure. The entire container is 10 x 5g servings (1 tablespoon each), so it only has 50g in total, meaning half of the daily amount of 100g you describe. And it cost $34.21 with shipping. That would be $68 per day. yikes!

    Reply
  8. Ruth Barrett says

    February 14, 2023 at 4:27 am

    Update to my earlier comment:
    I wrote to Planet Duckweed, and within a few hours, they responded with this explanation:

    Shawn Sorrels From Planet Duckweed
    4:42 PM (2 hours ago)
    to me

    Hi Ruth,
    Thank you for getting in touch!
    The 100g per day number is likely from a current article talking about the “green-mediteranean diet”. That study uses 100g fresh weight of duckweed. Fresh duckweed, like other leafy plants, is mostly water. Our product has been dried and powdered (no water weight) and is much more potent than a fresh (mostly water) duckweed product. Please only use SunLeaf as directed. 5g of SunLeaf duckweed powder gives you 400% daily value of vitamin D along with sufficient other nutrients and polyphenols. 100g of our SunLeaf product is too much for one serving.
    We hope to have a fresh (not dry and powdered) duckweed product on the market soon!
    Please contact me if you have any other questions or concerns.
    Thanks,
    Shawn

    Reply
  9. Anya Petrov says

    October 23, 2024 at 3:10 pm

    That said, I’m curious about how this diet compares to low-carb low carb meal plan. While the Green MED Diet emphasizes healthy fats and complex carbs, many people are exploring low-carb approaches for weight loss and improved metabolic health. Are there ways to adapt the principles of the Green MED Diet for someone looking to lower their carbohydrate intake while still prioritizing brain health and longevity?

    Reply
    • Susan Saunders says

      October 25, 2024 at 1:29 pm

      Oh yes absolutely! I’m sure it’s very flexible

      Reply

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