March 9, 2023 – A brand new study suggests that following the MIND or Mediterranean weight loss program can delay brain changes related to Alzheimer's disease by as much as 18 years. To see significant advantages, it wasn't obligatory to fastidiously follow the whole weight loss program plan – following just a part of it looked as if it would help keep the brain young.
“These results are exciting. Improving people's diets in just one area – such as eating more than six servings of green leafy vegetables per week or avoiding fried foods – was associated with fewer amyloid plaques in the brain, similar to age about 4 years,” said study creator Puja Agarwal, PhD, assistant professor at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, in a opinion.
For the study, researchers examined how weight loss program pertains to amyloid plaques and fibrils within the brain, that are characteristic physical signs of Alzheimer's. Amyloid plaques are toxic protein clumps that impair brain cell communication. Fibrils check with changes that disrupt nutrient transport within the brain, in line with the Mayo Clinic.
Detailed information in the present issue of the magazine neurologyThe study examined the brains of 581 deceased individuals who had participated within the survey before their death and provided detailed details about their weight loss program.
“When we examined the participants' brains after autopsy, we found plaques and tangles in the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease and older people with normal cognitive function,” Agarwal said. “But those who followed the diets more strictly had fewer plaques and tangles.”
According to the Mayo Clinic, Alzheimer's affects 6.5 million people ages 65 and older. An early sign is forgetting recent events or conversations, however the progressive disease results in serious memory problems that limit an individual's ability to perform on a regular basis tasks.
In the study, differences in participants' physical activity levels or whether or not they smoked or had circulatory problems didn’t affect the health advantages of the MIND or Mediterranean weight loss program.
The Mediterranean weight loss program involves eating mostly fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts, healthy grains, olive oil and fish, while limiting beef and dairy. The MIND weight loss program, a hybrid plan of the Mediterranean weight loss program and the DASH weight loss program (Dietary Approaches to Combat Hypertension), is a variation of the Mediterranean plan that focuses on whole grains, leafy greens and other vegetables, berries, beans, nuts, lean meat, fish, poultry and olive oil. The MIND weight loss program limits cheese, butter, fried foods and sweets.
In the study, researchers found that the more green leafy vegetables someone ate, the less signs of Alzheimer's disease were present in the brain. People who ate not less than seven servings of leafy vegetables per week had brains that looked 19 years younger than the brains of people that ate green vegetables once per week or never.
In individuals who strictly followed the Mediterranean weight loss program, the quantity of plaque and tangles of their brains was as great as in the event that they were 18 years younger than the people within the study who ate the least healthy weight loss program. In individuals who strictly followed the MIND weight loss program, the quantity of plaque and tangles was as great as in the event that they were 12 years younger than the individuals who ate a mostly unhealthy weight loss program.
The results “are enough to encourage people to include more of these vegetables in their diet,” Agarwal said. “More studies are needed to further support our findings.”
The authors identified that their results weren’t enough to prove that weight loss program was the reason for the slowed changes in people's brains.
“While this is not a causal link, it does show us that what we eat has an impact on our brain health, even in moderate amounts,” Agarwal said.