Maintaining Brain Health: Adopting the Mediterranean Diet and Regular Exercise Could Offer Protection
A Cutting-Edge Study Examines the Impact of a Mediterranean Diet and Walking Regimen on Dementia and Cognitive Decline
Scientists are delving into the effectiveness of a unique approach dubbed the "MedWalk intervention" to determine if it reduces the risk of cognitive impairment and dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease.
This multinational study, involving researchers from Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom, marries a Mediterranean diet with regular walking, aiming to assess the joint impact on brain health.
Background
Both the Mediterranean diet and regular exercise have been often associated with cognitive benefits, and this study aims to validate the combined MedWalk intervention's effectiveness.
Title: The MedWalk Intervention for Cognitive Health
Originally slated for a 2-year period, the study had to adapt due to the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, shortening the follow-up period to a single year. Despite the adjustments, the researchers believe the reduced timeline will yield robust findings.
Specifics
The primary focus of the study is a 12-month change in visual memory and learning for participants. Additionally, the researchers will observe the intervention's effects on a range of aspects, including mood, quality of life, health costs, cardiovascular health, and arterial stiffness.
Participants, aged 60-90, were sourced from independent living retirement communities across South Australia and Victoria. Recruits were also acquired from the larger community due to the pandemic's impact.
Special attention is paid to biomarkers suggestive of cognitive decline, such as glucose regulation, inflammation, nutrients, and oxidative stress.
Participants were assigned to either a MedWalk intervention group or a control group that maintains their usual diet and activity level. Notably, the intervention blends dietary modification with a supervised walking program, accompanied by psychosocial behavioral change techniques.
Cognitive Health and the Mediterranean Diet
Certified nutritionist Conner Middelmann, specializing in Mediterranean diet, indicates studies reveal following the Mediterranean diet reduces the risk of dementia. An Australian, 2021 study found that individuals adhering to the diet exhibited fewer dementia cases. Other studies, including one in 2019 and another in 2023, discovered links between a Mediterranean diet and lower Alzheimer's disease rates, the most common form of dementia.
However, Middelmann underlines that while these findings suggest an association between the Mediterranean diet and reduced dementia risk, numerous factors can impact dementia risk, such as genetics, lifestyle, and overall health. Thus, maintaining a well-balanced diet, such as the Mediterranean diet, is merely one aspect of a holistic strategy to promote brain health and dementia prevention.
Cognitive Protection Through Walking
Regular walking has been associated with delayed cognitive decline. One study discovered a proportional relationship between the number of steps taken and reduced dementia risk, with 10,000 steps daily lowering the risk by 50%. Another study highlighted a link between walking speed and dementia, and a 2017 British Journal of Sports Medicine study showed that aerobic exercise, such as walking, bolsters cognitive impairment mitigation.
The Power of a Two-Pronged Approach
By combining a Mediterranean diet with regular walking, the study hopes to unlock additional cognitive benefits. Middelmann suggests that the combined intervention may yield synergistic effects - enhanced cardiovascular health, reduced inflammation, and boosted neuroplasticity - leading to superior cognitive outcomes compared to either intervention alone.
The findings from this study may contribute significantly to public health dementia prevention strategies if confirmed. The study's data-collection phase will continue through 2023. Stay tuned for further updates and insights!
- The unique "MedWalk intervention" aims to reduce the risk of cognitive impairment and dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease, by combining a Mediterranean diet with regular walking.
- Participants in the study range from 60 to 90 years old and were sourced from independent living retirement communities and the larger community due to the pandemic's impact.
- The study's primary focus is a 12-month change in visual memory and learning for participants, also observing the intervention's effects on mood, quality of life, health costs, cardiovascular health, and arterial stiffness.
- Certified nutritionist Conner Middelmann indicates studies reveal that following the Mediterranean diet reduces the risk of dementia, with an Australian 2021 study showing fewer dementia cases among individuals adhering to the diet.
- While the Mediterranean diet may reduce dementia risk, Middelmann underlines that numerous factors such as genetics, lifestyle, and overall health can impact dementia risk.
- Regular walking has been associated with delayed cognitive decline, with one study finding a proportional relationship between steps taken and reduced dementia risk.
- By combining a Mediterranean diet with regular walking, the study hopes to unlock additional cognitive benefits, potentially resulting in superior cognitive outcomes compared to either intervention alone.
- If confirmed, the findings from this study may contribute significantly to public health dementia prevention strategies.
- Researchers believe the study's adaptations due to the COVID-19 pandemic, such as shortening the follow-up period, will yield robust findings and help unlock the benefits of the MedWalk intervention for cognitive health and dementia prevention.
