Experts are still attempting to determine why some people develop Alzheimer’s disease while others do not. Alzheimer’s disease is a complicated condition. Now, a new study suggests that what you eat can affect your risk of Alzheimer’s, and two specific diets may help lower your risk of the devastating disease.
More than 580 people donated their bodies to Rush University’s Memory and Aging Project, which has been collecting annual dietary information and conducting annual check-ups on study participants since 2004. The findings of the study, which were published in the journal Neurology, were examined. The study compared the number of plaques and tangles found in each participant’s brain during an autopsy with data on their dietary habits from 2014 to 2020 or 2021.
If you haven’t heard of them, plaques and tangles are important signs of Alzheimer’s disease. According to the National Institute on Aging (NIA), beta-amyloid proteins clump together to form plaques that collect between neurons and disrupt cell function in people with Alzheimer’s disease. Tangles are a gathering of a protein called tau that gather inside neurons and slow down correspondence between neurons, the NIA says.
The MIND or Mediterranean diets were found to have a 40 percent lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease in those who followed them closely, according to the study.
The brain tissue of those who consumed the most leafy greens appeared nearly 19 years younger in terms of plaque buildup than that of those who consumed one or fewer servings of leafy greens per week, according to the findings of the researchers.
The study raises a lot of questions about the role that diet plays in Alzheimer’s disease, as well as why these eating plans might help lower your risk. This is the deal.
How does one’s diet affect their risk of Alzheimer’s disease?
According to the National Institutes of Health (NIA), there are numerous potential factors that can affect your risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, including age and genetics. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), a person’s diet may have an impact on their risk of Alzheimer’s disease. The Mediterranean and MIND diets are also cited by the NIH as particularly beneficial for Alzheimer’s disease prevention.
Lead study author Puja Agarwal, Ph.D., an assistant professor of internal medicine at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, states, “We and others previously found that healthy diets are associated of brain plaques and tangles.
According to Amit Sachdev, M.D., M.S., medical director in the Department of Neurology at Michigan State University, “you are what you eat at a fundamental level.” He asserts, “Diet is a metric for overall wellness.” all around.
Why might the Mediterranean and MIND diets lower your risk of Alzheimer’s disease?
Once more, this is still being looked into. There are, however, some hypotheses.
The anti-inflammatory properties of the diets, according to Dr. Sachdev, may play a role. He says that some diets are better at controlling inflammation throughout the body. Sadly, the American diet of excessive starch is not a good option. The Mediterranean and MIND diets, on the other hand, “balance styles of food and portion size in a way that reduces overall burden of body inflammation,” he asserts.
The Mediterranean diet, in particular, is linked to blood vessel health, according to Dr. Sachdev. When we think of the Mediterranean diet, we think about keeping the brain’s blood vessels healthy and reducing the number of strokes. He states, “There is ample evidence to support this.” Additionally, problems with the blood vessels have been linked to an increased risk of Alzheimer’s.
Basics of the Mediterranean diet Jessica Cording, R.D., author of The Little Book of Game-Changers, explains that the Mediterranean diet is based on the lifestyles of people who live in . It emphasizes eating a lot of fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, grains, fish, seafood, extra-virgin olive oil, and red wine. According to Cording, the diet also encourages followers to avoid red meat.
“The Mediterranean eating routine is intended to be a way of life,” Cording says, taking note of that individuals on the eating regimen are likewise urged to be dynamic. The Mediterranean diet has been linked to reduced dementia risk, optimal blood sugar levels, and good heart health, according to research.
How will this affect your diet?
In the event that you’re worried about your Alzheimer’s sickness risk, specialists say it’s certainly worth investigating your eating regimen. However, it is essential to emphasize that diet is not the only factor in Alzheimer’s disease development.
Age and genetics have a significant impact on the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. “Diet is a topic of discussion,” asserts Dr. Sachdev.
Agarwal suggests adhering to the fundamental principles of both the Mediterranean and MIND diets if you want to alter your diet but are unsure where to begin. According to Agarwal, both diets “emphasize consuming more vegetables, particularly green leafy fruits including berries,” as well as whole grains, legumes, nuts, poultry, fish, and olive oil. Red meat, fried foods, butter, full-fat cheese, pastries, and sweets are among the high-fat, high-sugar foods discouraged by these diets.
