Mental health maintenance: Embracing Mediterranean diet and active lifestyle potentially offers shield against decline
Let's dive into the juice of a fascinating study examining the impact of a "MedWalk" lifestyle on dementia and cognitive decline.
A team of savvy researchers from Australia, New Zealand, and the UK are investigating whether this lifestyle combo can help old folks (60 to 90 years old) lower their chance of cognitive decline and dementia, including Alzheimer's. The "MedWalk" title comes from merging the Mediterranean diet and walking regularly.
Before you pop open a bottle of red wine and strap on your sneakers, let's go over this wicked combo's deets. Both the Med diet and frequent walking have been connected with a healthy brain, and this study aims to confirm their combined benefits. After all, they say teamwork makes the dream work, right?
The research was supposed to run for two years, but COVID-19 crashed the party. Regardless, the researchers have published their progress and analysis plan in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease. These badass boffins are not afraid of a little hurdle!
The team is especially interested in observing the intervention's effect on visual memory and learning for participants over a 12-month period. They'll also keep an eye on elements like mood, quality of life, and health costs, as well as cardiovascular health and arterial stiffness.
The participants in this epical escapade hail from independent living retirement communities in South Australia and Victoria (not the USA,mate!). But, because of ol' COVID, they've also welcomed participants from the wider community. These veterans, uh, I mean participants, will be split into an intervention group and a control group.
The MedWalk group will receive a mix of dietary advice, a guided walking regimen, and cunning behavioral change techniques to seal the deal. They'll have intensive support for the first six months, then a little less for the following six months to keep hustling. To make things easy-peasy, the researchers'll provide participants with extra-virgin olive oil (a key ingredient in the Med diet) and other necessary goodies.
So, grab your walking shoes and let's see if this MedWalk intervention can work its magic on your brain!
Now, if you're curious about what makes the Med diet so special, let's chat with Nutritionista Conner Middelmann, who ain't involved in this study but sure knows her stuff. She tells us that studies have linked the Med diet to fewer cases of dementia, and other studies found it lowers the risk of Alzheimer's, the most common form of dementia.
Keeping a balanced diet is only one part of the brain-health puzzle, though, and Conner stresses that many factors can affect dementia risk, like genetics, lifestyle, and overall health. Still, incorporating a Mediterranean diet into your lifestyle can be a smart move for your overall well-being.
The Med diet has several perks for the brain, according to Conner:
- Antioxidants help combat oxidative stress and inflammation, which can contribute to cognitive decline and neurodegenerative diseases.
- Omega-3 fatty acids, like DHA, are vital for brain health and have been linked to improved cognitive function and lower risk of cognitive decline.
- The diet is high in fiber, promoting a healthy gut microbiome.
- It's low in processed grains, sugars, and ultra-processed foods, reducing the risk of insulin resistance and inflammation.
Plus, sharing meals with loved ones and regular exercise are other elements of the Med diet that are good for your noggin.
Now, let's talk walkin'! Walking regularly is also linked to slower cognitive decline. A couple of studies show that taking 10,000 steps a day can cut your dementia risk in half, and consistent aerobic exercise can help strengthen cognitive impairment.
Brain health coach Ryan Glatt from the Pacific Neuroscience Institute cents in, confirming that walking might enhance brain health by increasing blood flow, boosting brain activity, and reducing stress while uplifting feelings of well-being. It may also offer social benefits and expose you to nature, both of which can benefit your brain.
The data-collection stage of this study will wrap up by the end of 2023, so stay tuned for those results, mate! If you ask nicely, I might even keep you updated or share more juicy tidbits on the study design and related research. Happy walking, mate!
- The study is investigating if a lifestyle combining the Mediterranean diet and regular walking can reduce the risk of cognitive decline and dementia, including Alzheimer's, in older adults.
- The "MedWalk" approach has been linked to a healthy brain, and this study aims to confirm the combined benefits of the Mediterranean diet and walking.
- The study is being conducted by a team of researchers from Australia, New Zealand, and the UK, and it was originally planned to last for two years.
- The research team will be observing the intervention's effect on visual memory and learning, mood, quality of life, and health costs, as well as cardiovascular health and arterial stiffness.
- The study participants are from independent living retirement communities in South Australia and Victoria, and they will be split into an intervention group and a control group.
- The MedWalk group will receive dietary advice, a guided walking regimen, and behavioral change techniques for the first six months, followed by less intense support for the next six months.
- The researchers will provide participants with extra-virgin olive oil and other necessary goodies to make it easier to follow the Med diet.
- Nutritionista Conner Middelmann explains that studies have linked the Mediterranean diet to fewer cases of dementia and Alzheimer's and that it has several benefits for brain health.
- Walking regularly has also been linked to slower cognitive decline, improved cognitive function, increased blood flow to the brain, and reduced stress.
