Protective Factors for Mental Sharpness: Adopting Mediterranean Diet and Regular Exercise Lifestyle
MedWalk: The Ultimate Brain-Boosting Lifestyle
Researchers are currently delving into the potential benefits of a unique combination—the MedWalk lifestyle. This invigorating fusion of a Mediterranean diet and regular walking is thought to combat dementia and slow cognitive decline.
Both components, separately, have exhibited links with better brain health in prior studies. The Mediterranean diet boasts an abundance of fruits, veggies, whole grains, and healthy fats, while regular walking enhances cardiovascular wellness and cognitive function.
The visionaries behind this groundbreaking research are a team of scholars hailing from Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. In an unexpected twist, the COVID-19 pandemic necessitated adjustments to the original 2-year assessment period, reducing it to a single year and broadening the participant pool.
Delving deeper into the research methods, the experts have documented their ongoing analyses in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease.
The Brain-Boosting Power of MedWalk
The researchers' primary interest lies in detecting a 12-month alteration in visual memory and learning among participants. The intervention's effects on mood, quality of life, health expenses, cardiovascular health, and arterial stiffness are also areas of keen focus.
participants are senior citizens aged 60-90, residing in South Australia and Victoria, Australia. Recruitment efforts draw from both independent living retirement communities and the broader community, a result of pandemic-induced challenges.
Attention is centered on biomarkers that reveal susceptibility to cognitive decline, such as glucose regulation, inflammation, nutrients, and oxidative stress. Participants are randomly assigned to either the MedWalk intervention group or a control group maintaining their customary diet and activity routine.
The MedWalk intervention effectively merges dietary modifications along with a closely supervised walking regimen, bolstered by behavioral change techniques. Participants benefit from hefty support during the initial 6 months, with additional assistance available for the subsequent 6 months to help them stick to their new lifestyle.
To help participants grasp the core concept, the researchers offer guidance on Mediterranean diet principles, including the importance of extra-virgin olive oil—a staple of the diet. They also provide other essential components of the Mediterranean diet.
Following an appraisal of baseline aerobic fitness, participants embark on group walking sessions for the initial 6 months, transitioning to monthly sessions for the remainder of the test year.
Mediterranean Diet: The Pathway to Sharper Minds
Conner Middelmann, a certified nutritionist specializing in the Mediterranean diet, shared her insights with Medical News Today.She highlighted numerous studies linking Mediterranean diet adherence to fewer dementia cases.
Other investigations, such as those from 2021 and 2023, revealed an association between the Mediterranean diet and decreased incidences of Alzheimer's disease, the leading cause of dementia.
Although these studies suggest a correlation between the Mediterranean diet and reduced dementia risk, Middelmann cautioned that various factors, including genetics, lifestyle, and overall health, play major roles in dementia development.
Middelmann emphasized that a Mediterranean diet is merely one component of an all-encompassing strategy for brain health and dementia prevention.
The Mediterranean diet bolsters brain health in various ways, she explained:
- it is packed with antioxidants that combat oxidative stress and inflammation, key contributors to cognitive decline and neurodegenerative diseases
- it contains omega-3 fatty acids, particularly docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), crucial for brain health, and omega-3s overall have been linked to enhanced cognitive function and lower likelihood of cognitive decline
- the Mediterranean diet is rich in fiber, promoting a healthy gut microbiome
- it is relatively low in processed grains and sugars, thereby reducing the risk of insulin resistance and inflammation
- consumption of ultra-processed foods, linked to dementia, is discouraged in the diet.
Lastly, Middelmann noted that family and social gatherings, as well as regular exercise, are additional aspects of the Mediterranean diet associated with brain health.
The Empowering Effects of Walking
Walking regularly has been associated with slower cognitive decline, as supported by a study demonstrating a dose-dependent relationship between daily step count and decreased dementia risk. Remarkably, this study found that taking 10,000 steps a day cut the risk of dementia in half.
Other investigations, such as one conducted in the United States and Australia, discovered a connection between walking speed and dementia, while a 2017 study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine concluded that aerobic exercise like walking can boost cognitive function.
Ryan Glatt, a brain health coach from the Pacific Neuroscience Institute, explained the positive impact of walking on brain health. He suggested that walking may
- enhance brain blood flow
- improve cognitive activity levels
- alleviate overall stress while boosting feelings of well-being
- integrate social components and exposure to nature, both of which may have additional cognitive benefits.
The study's data collection is set to conclude by the end of 2023, at which point the researchers will unveil the effectiveness of the MedWalk lifestyle in warding off cognitive decline and dementia. The findings could pave the way for practical, sustainable public health strategies that promote healthy aging and minimize the burden of dementia.
- The researchers, focused on detecting changes in visual memory and learning among participants, are documenting their ongoing analyses in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease.
- The primary interest of the researchers lies in observing a 12-month alteration in participants, who are senior citizens aged 60-90, residing in South Australia and Victoria, Australia.
- The MedWalk intervention merges dietary modifications with a closely supervised walking regimen, bolstered by behavioral change techniques, aimed at combating dementia and slowing cognitive decline.
- Conner Middelmann, a certified nutritionist, emphasized that a Mediterranean diet, rich in antioxidants, omega-3 fatty acids, fiber, and low in processed foods, is a vital component of an all-encompassing strategy for brain health and dementia prevention.
- Research has shown that taking 10,000 steps a day can potentially cut the risk of dementia in half, and aerobic exercise like walking can boost cognitive function.
- The study's data collection is set to conclude by the end of 2023, at which point the findings could pave the way for practical, sustainable public health strategies that promote healthy aging and minimize the burden of dementia.
