In a new study, researchers found a strong link between following the MIND and Mediterranean diets and later onset of Parkinson’s disease (PD).
They found individuals with Parkinson’s disease have a much later age of onset if their eating pattern closely aligns with the Mediterranean-type diet.
The difference shown was up to 17 years later in women and 8 years later in men.
The research was conducted by a team at the University of British Columbia.
The MIND diet combines aspects of two very popular diets, the Mediterranean diet and the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet.
In the study of 176 participants, researchers looked at adherence to these types of diets, characterized by reduced meat intake and a focus on vegetables, fruits, whole grains and healthy fats, and the age of PD onset.
They found that close adherence to these diets coincided with later onset of PD in women of up to 17.4 years and 8.4 years in men.
The MIND diet showed a stronger impact on women’s health, whereas the Mediterranean diet did for men.
The differences in these two diets are subtle but could serve as clues to the impacts specific foods and micronutrients may have on brain health.
The different effects of diet adherence between sexes are noteworthy as approximately 60& of those diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease are men.
The team says the study shows the connection between the gut and the brain for this disease.
It also shows it’s not just one disease that healthy eating can affect, but several of these cognitive diseases.
The researchers say it is in everybody’s best interest to try to keep your microbiome healthy, to try and eat a rich variety of plant-based and other healthy foods.
One author of the study is Dr. Silke Appel-Cresswell of the Pacific Parkinson’s Research Centre.
The study is published in Movement Disorders.
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