Coffee and the Mediterranean diet for brain and heart health

According to research by scientists at the University of Stirling, cultivating edible (ectomycorrhizal) mushrooms can provide a valuable food source for millions of people while capturing up to 12.8 tonnes of carbon dioxide per hectare per year. These mushrooms grow in symbiosis with healthy trees, and their cultivation will not only reduce the need for deforestation of land for other crops. Still, it will also encourage people to plant trees.

A UK Biobank study of more than 60,000 white British and Irish people found that those who most closely followed the Mediterranean diet – rich in seafood and plant-based foods – had up to a 23% lower risk of developing dementia.  In contrast, according to the University of Sydney researchers, women’s stricter adherence to the Mediterranean diet can reduce their risk of heart disease by 24% and their risk of death by 23%.

According to researchers at Imperial College London,  higher levels of caffeine in the blood can help people maintain a slim figure. The study, which involved nearly 10,000 people, found that participants with higher caffeine levels in their plasma had a lower body mass index (BMI) and a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Moderate coffee consumption (two to four cups per day) has also been linked to better brain health and a reduced risk of cognitive decline, as caffeine regulates a neuroprotective brain enzyme.