Preservation of Cognitive Function: Mediterranean Diet and Active Lifestyle Could Offer Protection
A study dubbed "MedWalk" is delving into the joint impact of a Mediterranean diet and regular walking on dementia and cognitive decline, including Alzheimer's disease. This experiment combines a Mediterranean diet with a supervised walking regimen, bolstered by psychosocial behavioral change techniques.
Previously, both a Mediterranean diet and regular walking have shown connections with brain health. Now, researchers from diverse regions across the globe, including Australia, New Zealand, and the UK, want to verify if a MedWalk intervention can yield the same benefits.
First conceived to monitor cognitive capabilities over a 2-year period, the study has been compressed to just 1 year due to timing and financial challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. The researchers feel this modification will still yield substantial findings.
The primary focus of this study revolves around understanding changes in visual memory and learning among participants over a 1-year period. Furthermore, MedWalk's effect on various aspects, such as mood, quality of life, and healthcare costs, as well as cardiovascular health and arterial stiffness, is under scrutiny.
Participants, aged between 60 and 90 years, residing in South Australia and Victoria, are included in the study. These participants have been recruited from independent living retirement communities, with some being sourced from the wider community during the pandemic.
Special attention is given to biomarkers linked to cognitive decline, such as glucose regulation, inflammation, nutrients, oxidative stress, and so on.
The participants are split into two groups—a MedWalk intervention group and a control group that maintains their usual diet and activity level. The intervention involves dietary modification, guided walking sessions, and support to help participants follow the MedWalk lifestyle for six months, with additional aid available for the subsequent six months.
To make things clearer, the researchers explain the differences between a Mediterranean diet and a typical Australian diet, using free extra-virgin olive oil and other foods to help participants grasp the concept of this lifestyle change. Following an initial assessment of baseline aerobic fitness, participants attend group walking sessions for the first six months, followed by monthly sessions for the remainder of the test year.
Some experts have weighed in on the potential advantages of a MedWalk lifestyle. Conner Middelmann, a nutritionist specializing in the Mediterranean diet, emphasized that previous studies show a connection between following a Mediterranean diet and fewer dementia cases. Further research indicates an association between this diet and a reduction in Alzheimer's disease, the most widespread form of dementia.
However, Middelmann cautioned that multiple factors can impact dementia risk, including genetics, lifestyle, and overall health. Therefore, she noted "a healthy diet, such as the Mediterranean diet, is just one aspect of a comprehensive approach to brain health and dementia prevention."
Various reasons explain how the Mediterranean diet may foster brain health, as per Middelmann:
- The diet's antioxidant content helps combat oxidative stress and inflammation, which are believed to contribute to cognitive decline and neurodegenerative diseases.
- It contains omega-3 fatty acids, including DHA, crucial for brain health, and omega-3s have been linked with improved cognitive function and a lower risk of cognitive decline.
- The Mediterranean diet is rich in fiber, aiding in maintaining a balanced gut microbiome.
- It is low in processed grains, sugars, and ultra-processed food—common culprits associated with dementia.
Lastly, Middelmann pointed out that sharing meals with loved ones and regular exercise, two key aspects of the Mediterranean diet, have been linked to brain health as well.
The health benefits of walking regularly extend to cognitive health. A study demonstrated a directly proportional relationship between the number of steps taken and the risk of dementia—taking approximately 10,000 steps a day lessened the risk by 50%. Another study found a correlation between walking speed and dementia, while a 2017 study in the British Journal of Sports Medicine revealed that aerobic exercise, like walking, can enhance cognitive function and strengthen impairment in older adults.
Ryan Glatt, a brain health coach from the Pacific Neuroscience Institute, explained how walking may benefit brain health: "Walking increases brain blood flow—depending on the intensity, duration, and frequency of walking—and may boost levels of brain activity while reducing stress and improving feelings of well-being." Additionally, walking may embrace social elements and exposure to nature, both of which have brain-related advantages.
By the end of 2023, this study's data-collection period will be completed. The researchers will then analyze the obtained data to draw conclusions about the impact of a MedWalk lifestyle on dementia and cognitive decline in older adults.
- Despite the compression of MedWalk study due to the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers are confident that the reduction in duration will still yield substantial findings regarding brain health, dementia, and cognitive decline, including Alzheimer's disease.
- MedWalk's primary focus revolves around understanding changes in visual memory and learning, mood, quality of life, and healthcare costs, as well as cardiovascular health and arterial stiffness, over a 1-year period among participants aged between 60 and 90 years.
- Special attention is given to biomarkers linked to cognitive decline, such as glucose regulation, inflammation, nutrients, oxidative stress, and more, in the context of the MedWalk intervention.
- Participants are split into two groups—a MedWalk intervention group, which follows a Mediterranean diet and a supervised walking regimen, and a control group that maintains their usual diet and activity level.
- A Mediterranean diet may foster brain health due to its antioxidant content, omega-3 fatty acids, fiber content, and low processed grain, sugar, and ultra-processed food intake, according to nutritionist Conner Middelmann.
- Regular walking has been shown to benefit brain health as it increases brain blood flow, boosts levels of brain activity, reduces stress, improves feelings of well-being, and may provide social and nature-related advantages.
