Maintaining Cognitive Wellness: Adopting Mediterranean Diet and Active Lifestyle for Potential Protection
Let's dive into the MedWalk investigation:
Researchers are delving into the potential of a lifestyle intervention, combining a Mediterranean diet with regular walking, to lower the risk of dementia and cognitive decline in adults aged 60 to 90 years old. This investigation, dubbed the "MedWalk intervention," is a collaboration among researchers from Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom.
The key question on everyone's minds: Can a MedWalk lifestyle really slow down or even prevent cognitive decline and various types of dementia, including Alzheimer's?
Preliminary research suggests that both a Mediterranean diet and regular exercise, particularly walking, are linked to better brain health. However, this study aims to establish the combined benefits of these healthful habits. Before COVID-19 interrupted its progress, the study was set to run for two years, with data regarding its processes and ongoing analysis being published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease.
Due to the pandemic, the follow-up period has been shrunk to one year, with the recruitment of more participants to compensate for the shorter duration. The study's primary focus is on observing a 12-month change in visual memory and learning abilities among the participants. Additionally, researchers are keeping an eye on the intervention's effects on factors such as mood, quality of life, health costs, cardiovascular health, and arterial stiffness.
Understanding the MedWalk Intervention
The study invites participants to engage in the MedWalk intervention or maintain their usual diet and activity levels as part of a control group. The MedWalk intervention involves modifying one's diet and adhering to a supervised walking regimen reinforced with psychosocial behavioral change strategies. Participants receive substantial support for the initial six months, with continued assistance available for the following six months to ensure their adherence to the lifestyle changes.
Researchers supply participants with information about the Mediterranean diet, explaining how it differs from a typical Australian diet to help participants better understand its benefits. The intervention includes providing participants with extra-virgin olive oil, a crucial component of the Mediterranean diet, as well as other beneficial foods.
After assessing participants' baseline aerobic fitness, they engage in group walking sessions for the first six months, followed by monthly sessions for the remainder of the test year.
The Mediterranean Diet and Cognition
Conner Middelmann, a certified nutritionist specializing in the Mediterranean diet, shared her insights with Medical News Today. According to Middelmann, previous studies have linked the Mediterranean diet to fewer cases of dementia, potentially due to its rich antioxidant content, omega-3 fatty acids, high fiber content, reduced risk of insulin resistance, and discouragement of ultra-processed foods.
Middelmann stresses that while the studies suggest a link between the Mediterranean diet and a lower risk of dementia, it's essential to consider other factors such as lifestyle, genetics, and overall health. In essence, she emphasizes that maintaining a healthy diet is one piece of a broader puzzle towards brain health and dementia prevention.
How Walking May Benefit Cognition
Walking regularly has also been associated with slower cognitive decline. In fact, one study found that taking 10,000 steps a day could slash the risk of dementia by half! Other research has connected walking speed and dementia and demonstrated that aerobic exercise can strengthen cognitive impairment.
Brain health coach Ryan Glatt from the Pacific Neuroscience Institute notes that walking may bolster brain health in several ways, such as increasing brain blood flow, improving levels of brain activity, reducing feelings of stress, and providing social and natural environments, all of which have been linked to cognitive benefits.
Stay tuned for the study's findings, which will be available by the end of 2023.
- The MedWalk intervention, a combination of a Mediterranean diet and regular walking, is being investigated to potentially lower the risk of dementia and cognitive decline in adults aged 60 to 90.
- Researchers aim to establish the combined benefits of a Mediterranean diet and regular exercise, particularly walking, on brain health.
- Conner Middelmann, a nutritionist specializing in the Mediterranean diet, believes that previous studies have linked the diet to potentially lower rates of dementia due to its antioxidant content, omega-3 fatty acids, high fiber content, reduced risk of insulin resistance, and discouragement of ultra-processed foods.
- Walking regularly has been associated with slower cognitive decline, with one study suggesting that taking 10,000 steps a day could halve the risk of dementia.
- Brain health coach Ryan Glatt from the Pacific Neuroscience Institute notes that walking may benefit brain health by increasing brain blood flow, improving levels of brain activity, reducing stress, and providing social and natural environments, all linked to cognitive benefits.
- The MedWalk study, which involves modifying one's diet and adhering to a supervised walking regimen, aims to observe a 12-month change in visual memory and learning abilities among participants, also focusing on factors like mood, quality of life, health costs, cardiovascular health, and arterial stiffness.
