A recent study published in Neurology has revealed that individuals who include green leafy vegetables in their diets and follow the Mediterranean or MIND diets may have fewer Alzheimer’s disease markers in their brains, such as amyloid plaques and tau tangles.
While this study highlights a positive association between these diets and brain health, it does not establish a definitive cause-and-effect relationship.
The study examined the adherence of individuals to two diets: the Mediterranean diet and the MIND diet.
While these diets share similarities, the Mediterranean diet emphasizes vegetables, fruits, and three or more servings of fish per week.
In contrast, the MIND diet places a specific focus on green leafy vegetables like spinach, kale, and collard greens, along with prioritizing berries over other fruits and including one or more servings of fish per week. Both diets recommend moderate wine consumption.
Positive Findings
The research discovered that individuals who regularly consumed these diets exhibited fewer amyloid plaques in their brains, an indicator of Alzheimer’s disease, akin to being about four years younger.
While the study does not prove that a healthy diet directly resulted in reduced brain deposits, it highlights a noteworthy relationship.
Adhering to the Mediterranean and MIND diets may offer a way to enhance brain health and safeguard cognitive abilities as individuals age.
Study Participants and Procedures
The study involved 581 participants with an average age of 84 at the time of dietary assessment, all of whom had agreed to donate their brains for dementia research upon death.
These participants completed annual questionnaires that assessed their food intake. They were followed for an average of seven years until their death, with 39% of them receiving a dementia diagnosis before passing away.
Post-mortem examinations were conducted to evaluate the presence of amyloid plaques and tau tangles in the participants’ brains.
Scoring Diet Quality
For the Mediterranean diet, participants received scores based on adherence to 11 food categories.
Higher scores indicated greater adherence to the diet’s principles, which included consuming whole grain cereals, fruits, vegetables, legumes, olive oil, fish, and potatoes, while reducing intake of red meat, poultry, and full-fat dairy products.
The MIND diet, on the other hand, featured 15 categories, with participants scoring one point for each of the 10 brain-healthy food groups they consumed.
These groups included green leafy vegetables, other vegetables, nuts, berries, beans, whole grains, fish, poultry, olive oil, and wine.
Points were deducted for overconsumption of foods listed in five unhealthy food groups: red meats, butter and margarine, cheese, pastries and sweets, and fried and fast food.
Positive Correlations
After adjusting for factors such as age at death, sex, education, total calorie intake, and genetic risk for Alzheimer’s disease, the study found that individuals with the highest adherence to the Mediterranean diet had brain plaque and tangle amounts resembling those of individuals 18 years younger than those with the lowest adherence.
Similarly, individuals with the highest adherence to the MIND diet had brain plaque and tangle amounts akin to those of individuals 12 years younger than those with the lowest adherence.
Notably, a one-point higher MIND diet score corresponded to brain plaque levels resembling those of individuals 4.25 years younger.
The Role of Green Leafy Vegetables
Intriguingly, individuals who consumed the most green leafy vegetables, equating to seven or more servings per week, displayed brain plaque amounts resembling those of individuals almost 19 years younger than those who consumed one or fewer servings per week.
This finding underscores the potential benefits of incorporating green leafy vegetables into one’s diet.
Conclusion
The study offers promising insights into the role of diet in reducing Alzheimer’s disease markers in the brain.
It suggests that diets emphasizing natural, protective foods and moderation can contribute to better brain health and potentially delay cognitive decline.
However, further research is necessary to confirm these findings, and the study’s limitations should be considered when interpreting the results.
If you care about Alzheimer’s disease, please read studies that bad lifestyle habits can cause Alzheimer’s disease, and strawberries can be good defence against Alzheimer’s.
For more information about brain health, please see recent studies that oral cannabis extract may help reduce Alzheimer’s symptoms, and Vitamin E may help prevent Parkinson’s disease.
The research findings can be found in Neurology.
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