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Results from the long-awaited clinical trial of the Mediterranean-DASH dietary intervention for delayed neurodegeneration or delayed neurodegeneration have arrived. mind diet — diets specifically designed to boost the brain — and they’re not as good as expected.
“We were really hopeful that the MIND Diet would outperform the control group, so we were pretty hopeful. surprised by the resultssaid lead study author Lisa Barnes, associate director of the Center for Alzheimer’s Disease Research at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago.
In fact, the brains of people who followed the MIND diet for three years did improve. A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan at the end of the study showed a decrease in white matter hyperintensity (small lesions) and an increase in the volume of both gray matter (the brain’s cognitive centers) and white matter (the brain’s communication highways). It was shown that
But here’s the problem. Control brains that did not eat the MIND diet improved to a similar extent.
In past studies, the MIND diet and mediterranean diet The risk of cognitive decline is significantly reduced, Alzheimer’s disease. But many of the studies took much longer than that, Barnes said.
“From the beginning, my main concern with this trial was that three years might be too short to affect disease processes that develop over decades,” says Nutrition Research. Dr. Walter Willett, a leading author and professor of epidemiology at He studied nutrition at the Harvard TH Chang School of Public Health and is a professor at Harvard Medical School.
Willett points out that old clinical trials Eating more beta-carotenoids, antioxidants found in red, yellow, orange, and dark green fruits and vegetables, has been found to have cognitive benefits. But that was after years of dieting.
“After more than 15 years of beta-carotene supplementation, there was a significant and important improvement in cognitive function in the beta-carotene group compared to placebo, but no difference after just a few years,” said the new plan. Not that Willett said. study.
What’s more, people in the new study’s control group may have improved their diets instead of sticking to the dietary instructions they used to, says Alzheimer’s Disease 2023 meeting Tuesday in Amsterdam. Burns, who presents papers at international conferences, said.
“It’s not that people on a control diet stayed flat,” she says. “Everyone ate healthier, lost weight, and as a result, all felt better. My conclusion is that any type of healthy diet seems to improve cognitive function.” That’s it.”
Dr. David Katz, an expert in preventive medicine and lifestyle medicine who founded the nonprofit, says people may recognize which branch of research they’re in, so long-term clinical trials in nutrition said it is difficult to do Commitment to true health, a global coalition of professionals dedicated to evidence-based lifestyle medicine. He was not involved in the research.
“Participation in the study has likely already raised awareness about sensible dietary habits to protect cognitive function,” Katz said. “The study didn’t rule out differences. We just couldn’t confirm one.”
Developed in 2015 by researchers at Rush University in Chicago, the MIND diet includes: plant-based mediterranean diet, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, seeds, nuts, and lots of extra virgin olive oils. Red meat and sweet foods are rarely eaten, but fish, which is rich in healthy omega-3 fatty acids, is a staple.
The MIND diet also incorporates dietary (or DASH) diet elements to combat high blood pressure.of dash diet It focuses on lowering blood pressure and cholesterol, which can cause small blood vessels to constrict, which can lead to heart attacks, strokes and dementia. The standard DASH diet limits salt intake to 2,300 milligrams per day, which is less than 1 teaspoon of table salt.
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Despite the disappointing results of this trial, other studies have found that the MIND diet can reduce the risk of cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease.
Many studies have found that the Mediterranean diet can reduce the risk of: Diabetes, high cholesterol, dementia, amnesia, depression and breast cancer. Meals that are closer to the dietary style rather than dietary restrictions, stronger bones, a healthier heart and Long life. The DASH diet has been proven to: lower blood pressure of the American Heart Association top diet.
The MIND Diet takes the Mediterranean and DASH diets to the next level by focusing on foods known to boost brain health. The MIND diet requires eating dark leafy greens every day. These include arugula, collards, dandelion leaves, endive, grape leaves, kale, mustard greens, romaine lettuce, spinach, swiss chard, turnip leaves, and more.
Berries are also more stressful than other fruits on the MIND diet. You should eat blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, or strawberries at least five days a week.
Additionally, you should consume three servings of whole grains daily. You should eat beans four times a week, chicken twice, and fish at least once a week. Eat nuts five times a week and avoid butter, cheese, red meat, fried foods, pastries and sweets.
a 2017 survey A study of nearly 6,000 healthy older Americans, with an average age of 68, found that those who followed the Mediterranean or MIND diet had a one-third lower risk of dementia.
The study, published Tuesday in the New England Journal of Medicine, followed 604 overweight people over the age of 65 for three years. All had a first-degree relative with Alzheimer’s disease and had normal cognitive function at the start of the study.
The experimental group was asked to follow the MIND Diet while cutting 250 calories per day with the help of a counselor. No vitamin supplements were allowed. The group was fed moderate amounts of olive oil, blueberries, and nuts each month.
A control group was instructed to continue on a normal diet without vitamins, but with the help of counseling tried to cut down on 250 calories per day. They were given a $30 monthly gift card.
A battery of cognitive tests was administered at the beginning of the study and repeated at set intervals, while regular blood tests revealed biomarkers such as beta-carotene that indicated how well each person adhered to the MIND diet. was measured.
Diet quality was measured at the beginning of the study and both groups were comparable. However, by the end of six months, people eating the MIND diet had improved their diet quality scores by more than 3 points, which was maintained for 3 years, compared to less than 1 point improvement in the control group. By the end of the study, people in both groups had lost 5 kilograms or 11 pounds.
“The 5kg weight loss in both groups is impressive and outperforms many weight loss trials,” said Willett. “It’s clear that the control group had changed their diet.”
Blood tests showed that levels of carotenoids, such as beta-carotene, were initially much higher in the group on the MIND diet, but the increase “did not persist over time and was not real in most of the trials.” But it was low-key,” Willett said.
Vegetables and fruits are major sources of carotenoids and “also appear to be the most important component of the Mediterranean diet for cognitive function,” said Willett. “Since the trial was fed with olive oil and nuts, but not with vegetables, it is not surprising that carotenoid differences were not maintained.”
Such results, although disappointing, do not mean that the mountains of research on the benefits of the Mediterranean and DASH diets have been denied, experts say. Quite the opposite, in fact.
Katz points out that “Blue Zone” “All Blue Zone residents have very low rates of dementia by age 100, but their diets are very different,” says Katz. published research About the use of food as preventive medicine.
“There is good reason to suspect that multiple, very high quality diets, not just mind, offer similar benefits.”
