Maintaining Brain Health: Adhering to the Mediterranean Diet and Leading an Active Lifestyle Could Offer Protection
New Study Examines Combined Effect of Mediterranean Diet and Walking on Dementia and Cognitive Decline
Researchers from Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom are conducting a study to evaluate the potential of a combined "MedWalk intervention" in reducing the risk of cognitive decline and dementia, including Alzheimer's disease. The study, disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, is ongoing, with plans to complete data collection by the end of 2023.
Initially conceived to monitor cognitive changes over a two-year period, the study has adapted to account for the pandemic's timing and financial impact, now following participants for a single year. The focus is primarily on a 12-month change in visual memory and learning among participants.
Apart from observing the intervention's effect on visual memory and learning, researchers intend to investigate its impact on mood, quality of life, health costs, cardiovascular health, and arterial stiffness. The study includes participants aged 60 to 90 from South Australia and Victoria, with recruitment from independent living retirement communities and the wider community due to the pandemic.
Participants in the study were assigned to either a MedWalk intervention group or a control group maintaining their usual diet and activity level. The intervention involves a combination of dietary modification and a supervised walking regimen, reinforced with psychosocial behavioral change techniques, offering intensive support during the first six months and continued assistance for the next six months.
Researchers offer guidance on the Mediterranean diet, explaining how it differs from a typical Australian diet. As a key component of the intervention, participants receive free extra-virgin olive oil, along with other Mediterranean diet-friendly foods. Preliminary fitness assessments and group walking sessions during the first six months are followed by monthly sessions for the remainder of the test year.
Previous research has indicated a reduction in dementia cases among those following a Mediterranean diet. Studies have also shown an association between a Mediterranean diet and lower rates of Alzheimer's disease, the most common form of dementia. While these studies suggest a connection between the Mediterranean diet and dementia risk reduction, it is essential to consider various factors, such as genetics, lifestyle, and overall health, that can influence dementia risk.
Walking is associated with reduced cognitive decline, as multiple studies have demonstrated a positive relationship between the number of steps taken daily and the risk of dementia. For instance, a study discovered that taking 10,000 steps a day lowered the risk of dementia by 50%. Brain health coach Ryan Glatt from the Pacific Neuroscience Institute explains that walking can potentially improve brain health by increasing blood flow, enhancing brain activity, reducing stress, and offering social and nature-related benefits.
While an ongoing study specifically focusing on the combined effects of a Mediterranean diet and walking on cognitive decline and dementia has not been located, the benefits of these lifestyle choices for cognitive health are well-established. Previous research consistently demonstrates that a Mediterranean diet and regular physical activity, such as walking, promote brain health and may contribute to a lower risk of dementia and cognitive impairment.
- Variations in lifestyle, particularly the adoption of a Mediterranean diet and regular walking, are being examined in a study for their potential role in reducing the risk of dementia, including Alzheimer's disease.
- The 12-month impact of this "MedWalk intervention" on visual memory and learning, as well as mood, quality of life, health costs, cardiovascular health, and arterial stiffness, is the primary focus of the ongoing research.
- The combination of dietary modification and a supervised walking regimen, reinforced with psychosocial behavioral change techniques, is being tested among participants aged 60 to 90 from South Australia and Victoria.
- Previous research has indicated that following a Mediterranean diet may lower the risk of dementia, while walking has been associated with reduced cognitive decline due to its potential benefits for brain health, such as increasing blood flow and reducing stress.
- Naive results from science have suggested that a connection exists between the Mediterranean diet, lower rates of Alzheimer's disease (a common form of dementia), and reduced dementia cases, but it is essential to consider other factors, like genetics, lifestyle, and overall health, when analyzing dementia risk.
