This may be the solution to eat healthier (January 2019) 0:38
(CNN) -
Not sure what to eat?
Why not choose foods that are good for your brain?
Meals inspired by traditional foods from the sunny Mediterranean, according to a new study, may reduce the risk of dementia by interfering with the accumulation of two proteins, amyloid and tau, in the plaques and knots that are hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease.
"The mountain of evidence continues to grow that you are what you eat when it comes to brain health," said Dr. Richard Isaacson, who directs the Alzheimer's Prevention Clinic at Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital.
"In this important study, the researchers showed that it is possible not only to improve cognitive function, more specifically memory, but also to reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease pathology," said Isaacson, who was not involved in the study.
“For each point of greater compliance with the diet, people had another year less of brain aging.
That's amazing, ”Isaacson added.
"Most people don't know that it is possible to take control of their brain health, yet this study shows us that."
What is the Mediterranean diet?
Forget lasagna,
pizza
,
spanakopita,
and
lamb
souvlaki
.
They are not on the daily menu of those who live on the Mediterranean coast.
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The real diet is simple, plant-based cooking, with most of each meal focusing on fruits and vegetables, whole grains, beans, and seeds, with a few nuts and a heavy emphasis on extra-virgin olive oil.
Fats other than olive oil, such as butter, are rarely, if ever, consumed.
And say goodbye to refined sugar or flour.
The meat may have to appear from time to time, but usually only to add flavor to a dish.
Instead, meals can include eggs, dairy, and poultry, but in much smaller portions than in the traditional Western diet.
However, fish, which is packed with brain-boosting omega-3s, is a staple food.
The Mediterranean diet: a healthy lifestyle with many benefits that you can adopt this year
Brain scans and cerebrospinal fluid
The study, published Wednesday in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, examined 343 people at high risk of developing Alzheimer's and compared them to 169 cognitively normal subjects.
First, the researchers assessed each person's cognitive abilities, including language, memory, and executive function, and used brain scans to measure brain volume.
The cerebrospinal fluid of 226 participants was also analyzed for amyloid and tau protein biomarkers.
People were then asked how well they were following the Mediterranean diet.
After adjusting for factors such as age, sex and education, the study found that people who did not follow the diet closely had more signs of amyloid and tau accumulation in their cerebrospinal fluid than those who did follow the diet.
Additionally, for every point a person loses by not following the Mediterranean diet, brain scans revealed an additional year of brain aging in areas associated with Alzheimer's, such as the hippocampus.
"These results add to the body of evidence showing that what you eat can influence your memory skills later on," study author Tommaso Ballarini, a postdoctoral fellow at the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases in Bonn, said in a statement. , Germany.
"One question remains unanswered: why exactly does the Mediterranean diet protect against Alzheimer's?" Said Isaacson, who is also a trustee of the McKnight Brain Research Foundation.
While more study is needed, it is likely that a combination of factors are working "synergistically together," he added, "such as reducing inflammation, increasing protective antioxidants, and supplying the brain with healthy fats from high-omega-3 fish - such as wild salmon–, as well as the monounsaturated fats in extra virgin olive oil ».
21 Ways to Lower Your Risk of Alzheimer's, Backed by Research
A growing connection
This isn't the first research to find a link between brain health and the Mediterranean diet or one of its plant-based cousins.
A study of nearly 6,000 healthy older Americans, with an average age of 68, found that those who followed the Mediterranean diet or the similar MIND diet reduced their risk of dementia by a third.
MIND, short for DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) Mediterranean Intervention for Neurodegenerative Retardation, focuses on eating at least six servings a week of green leafy vegetables like spinach or kale, and at least one serving a day from another vegetable.
"Eating a healthy plant-based diet is associated with better cognitive function and about a 30% to 35% lower risk of cognitive decline during aging," lead author Claire McEvoy, assistant professor at the Queen's University Belfast, when the study was published.
"In this study, while the overall Mediterranean diet lowered risk, the strongest factor to really move the needle was regular fish consumption," Isaacson said.
The more people followed those diets, McEvoy said, the better they functioned cognitively.
Those who marginally followed the diet also benefited, but by a much smaller margin.
These study participants were 18% less likely to show signs of cognitive decline.
They warn that patients recovered from Covid-19 suffer from "cognitive deficit"
How to start the Mediterranean diet?
Do you want to get on the Mediterranean diet train and protect your brain and eyes?
Experts say the easiest way to start is to replace one thing at a time.
For example, replace refined grains with whole grains by choosing whole wheat bread and pasta and swapping white rice for brown or wild rice.
Cook one meal a week of beans, whole grains, and vegetables, using herbs and spices for flavor.
Meat is not allowed.
When one night a week is too low, factor it into two nights and prepare your meatless meals from there.
In the Mediterranean diet, cheese and yogurt appear daily to weekly, in moderate portions;
chicken and eggs are fine occasionally, but the use of other meats and sweets is very limited.
When you eat meat, eat small amounts.
For a main dish, that means no more than 85 grams of chicken or lean meat.
Better yet: use small pieces of chicken or slices of lean meat to flavor a plant-based meal, like a stir fry.
Fish is the king of the Mediterranean diet and is consumed at least twice a week.
"Fatty fish like wild salmon, sardines, albacore, lake trout and mackerel are loaded with brain-healthy omega-3 fatty acids, which nourish brain cells," Isaacson said.
Focus on fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts, and seeds.
Add whole grains and fruits to every meal, but use nuts and seeds as a side or snack because of their high calorie and fat content.
Eat lots of vegetables and use all types and colors to get the widest range of nutrients, phytochemicals, and fiber.
Cook them, grill them or decorate them with herbs and a little extra virgin olive oil.
If fish is king, olive oil is queen in the Mediterranean diet;
stay away from coconut and palm oil, experts say.
Although they are plant-based, these oils are high in saturated fat that will raise bad cholesterol.
Adopting cuisine from the sunny region will also help with healthy weight loss, while reducing the risk of diabetes, depression, high cholesterol, heart disease, stroke, and some cancers.
Does going into the Mediterranean diet mean all those benefits and also a healthier mind?
Don't think twice!
Mediterranean diet