Preservation of Mental Acuity: Adopting Mediterranean Diet and Active Lifestyle Could Offer Protection
Revised Article:
Going the Extra Mile for Brain Health: Exploring the Synergy of a Mediterranean Diet and Walking
Researchers are delving into whether embracing a life that blends the "MedWalk," a combo of the Mediterranean diet and regular strolls, can help thwart cognitive decline and dementias like Alzheimer's. MedWalk is a snazzy shorthand for the Mediterranean diet and physical exercise.
Previously, both the Mediterranean diet and hitting the pavement have been linked to improved brain health. This research aims to validate their combined impact.
This initiative, crafted by scientists hailing from Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom, is currently in motion, encountering a temporary hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Even amid the pandemic, the study authors have disclosed their methods and progress in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease.
Embracing the MedWalk Lifestyle
Originally designed to scrutinize cognitive function over two years, the timeline and financial implications of the COVID-19 outbreak have forced adjustments. The research period is now whittled down to a year, with the team expanding the scope of participants.
The researchers are particularly interested in exploring a 12-month change in visual memory and learning abilities among participants.
They also are keen to observe the intervention's implications on a gamut of areas, encompassing mood, quality of life, and health costs; along with cardiovascular health and arterial stiffness.
The trial participants are Australians aged between 60 and 90, sourced from seniors' living communities. The pandemic expansion has brought in participants from the wider community as well.
Intense focus is given to markers associated with cognitive decline, such as blood glucose regulation, inflammation, nutrients, and oxidative stress.
Participants are split into two groups – the MedWalk intervention and a control group following their usual diets and activities.
The MedWalk intervention is a cocktail of diet modification paired with a guided walking regimen, bolstered by psychosocial behavioral strategies. Participants receive six months of intensive support, with additional assistance available for the next six months.
To help participants understand, the researchers offer guidance on how the Mediterranean diet differs from a typical Aussie diet. They provide free extra-virgin olive oil, a cornerstone of the Mediterranean diet, as well as other suitable foods.
After assessing baseline aerobic fitness, participants join group walking sessions for the initial six months, followed by monthly sessions for the remainder of the study.
The Mediterranean Diet and Brain Power
Certified nutritionist Conner Middelmann – unrelated to the study – noted to Medical News Today that researches have linked the Mediterranean diet to fewer cases of dementia.
Further studies from 2023 highlighted an association between the Mediterranean diet and reduced Alzheimer’s disease prevalence, the most common type of dementia.
However, Middelmann reminds us that genetics, lifestyle, and overall health are essential elements determining dementia risk.
She emphasized that maintaining a Mediterranean diet is a crucial yet incremental piece of a broader approach to brain health and dementia prevention.
The Mediterranean diet may contribute to brain health by:
- Combating oxidative stress and inflammation, hypothesized to be crucial drivers of cognitive decline and neurodegenerative diseases, via its rich antioxidant content.
- Boosting brain health with omega-3 fatty acids, particularly docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), essential for brain function, and linked to improved cognitive function and lower cognitive decline risks.
- Regularizing the gut microbiome through high-fiber consumption.
- Minimizing processed grains and sugars, thereby reducing the risk of insulin resistance and inflammation.
- Discouraging ultra-processed foods, linked to dementia.
Additionally, Middelmann points out that social meals and regular exercise – also part of the Mediterranean diet – are associated with enhanced brain health.
Lacing Up for Brain Health
Walking regularly has been linked to slower cognitive decline.
A study found a dose-dependent relationship between step counts and dementia risk reduction: taking 10,000 steps per day decreased the risk by 50%.
Research indicates a connection between walking speed and dementia, while a 2017 study in the British Journal of Sports Medicine concluded that aerobic activities, like walking, can fortify cognitive impairment.
"Walking may rejuvenate brain health in various ways. A walk may boost brain blood flow at certain intensities, durations, and frequencies, and may bolster brain activity while lessening feelings of overall stress and improving well-being," explained brain health coach Ryan Glatt from the Pacific Neuroscience Institute.
Additional benefits include exposure to nature and social interaction – both beneficial for brain health.
The study's data collection is due to complete by the end of 2023.
- The research, spearheaded by scientists from Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom, investigates the combined impact of the Mediterranean diet and regular walking on cognitive decline and dementias like Alzheimer's.
- The researchers aim to observe the intervention's implications on various areas, including mood, quality of life, health costs, cardiovascular health, arterial stiffness, and visual memory and learning abilities.
- The study, initially designed to scrutinize cognitive function over two years, has been adjusted due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with the research period now limited to a year and an expansion of participants.
- Participants in the MedWalk intervention receive a cocktail of diet modification, guided walking regimen, and psychosocial behavioral strategies, coupled with six months of intensive support.
- Conner Middelmann, a certified nutritionist, noted that research has linked the Mediterranean diet to fewer cases of dementia and reduced Alzheimer’s disease prevalence.
- Ryan Glatt, a brain health coach, explains that walking may rejuvenate brain health by boosting brain blood flow, bolstering brain activity, lessening feelings of overall stress, and improving well-being, also providing benefits from exposure to nature and social interaction.
