Eat different for better memory

 

This one caught my eye; eating the Mediterranean diet (which I somewhat tend to do given my own dietary tastes and preferences) can improve memory.

(Diet example:)

Because it alters the gut bacteria. That's somewhat mind-blowing, but let's see if there's a reason why.

Mediterranean Diet May Boost Memory by Altering Gut Bacteria

And reading the article, it says ... nothing about why changing the gut bacteria would have an effect on memory.

Except that, based on rat testing, it does. 

"The study found that rats fed a Mediterranean-style diet rich in olive oil, fish and fiber over 14 weeks showed increases in four beneficial types of gut bacteria and decreases in five others compared to rats eating a Western diet high in saturated fats. These bacterial changes were linked to improved performance on maze challenges designed to test memory and learning.

Specifically, higher levels of bacteria such as Candidatus Saccharimonas were associated with better cognitive performance, while increased levels of other bacteria, such as Bifidobacterium, correlated with poorer memory function."

OK, so that's great, the diet helps with memory, because the gut bugs are different.

But why?

More research is needed.