Mental Wellness: Adopting Mediterranean diet and active lifestyle could potentially offer protective benefits.
Revised Output:
Staying Sharp: The MedWalk Study on Dementia and Cognitive Decline
Researchers are venturing to uncover whether a walking-Mediterranean diet duo, affectionately known as the "MedWalk intervention," can reduce the risk of cognitive decline and dementias, such as Alzheimer's dementia. This combo of a Mediterranean diet and regular walking is thought to offer numerous brain benefits.
Countless studies have tied both a Mediterranean diet and regular walking to improved brain health. This ongoing study, led by researchers from Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom, aims to solidify these findings by assessing the combined benefits of the MedWalk lifestyle.
The study, disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, initially intended to monitor cognitive health over a 2-year period. However, adapting to the pandemic's timing and financial impact, the test period has been reduced to a single year, with a more significant number of participants taking part.
The researchers' primary focus is a 12-month change in visual memory and learning among participants. Beyond this, they seek to observe the intervention's effect on participants' mood, quality of life, health costs, cardiovascular health, and arterial stiffness.
Participants, aged between 60 and 90, hail from retirement communities in South Australia and Victoria. The study includes individuals from larger communities who joined due to the pandemic.
The study assigned participants to either the MedWalk intervention group or a control group maintaining their normal diet and activity level. The intervention consists of dietary modifications, a supervised walking regimen, and behavioral change techniques for support.
To guide participants, the researchers illustrate the Mediterranean diet's differences from the typical Australian diet, offering free extra-virgin olive oil and other foods essential to the diet. After evaluating baseline aerobic fitness, participants engage in walking sessions and follow a diet that emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins.
Recent research suggests a link between the Mediterranean diet and reduced dementia cases. One study in Italy found a marked decrease in dementia cases among those following the Mediterranean diet[1]. An additional study in Spain found an association between a Mediterranean diet and lower rates of Alzheimer's disease, the most common form of dementia[1].
Conner Middelmann, a certified nutritionist, highlights that maintaining a Mediterranean diet is just one aspect of a holistic approach to brain health and dementia prevention. She suggests that other factors, including genetics, lifestyle, and overall health, contribute to dementia risk.
The Mediterranean diet may improve brain health in numerous ways, including:
- Rich in antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids that fight inflammation and oxidative stress, thought to contribute to cognitive decline and neurodegenerative diseases.
- Lower risk of insulin resistance and inflammation due to the diet's low processed grain and sugar content.
- Enhanced gut microbiome balance thanks to high fiber consumption.
- Reduced consumption of ultra-processed foods, which have been linked to an increased risk of dementia.
Regular walking is also associated with slower cognitive decline. One study found a dose-dependent relationship between the number of steps taken and reduced dementia risk, with 10,000 steps per day reducing the risk by 50%[1]. Other research supports the idea that walking can improve brain health by boosting blood flow, benefiting brain activity, reducing stress, and improving feelings of well-being[1].
The current study's data-collection period will complete by the end of 2023.
Enrichment Data:
- Overview of the Study
- Researchers investigate the combined effects of the MedWalk lifestyle, comprising a Mediterranean diet and regular walking, on cognitive health, including aspects related to dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
- Intervention Components
- Dietary Changes: Introduce participants to the Mediterranean diet, rich in extra-virgin olive oil, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins.
- Walking Program: Involves a supervised walking program designed to enhance physical activity levels. Participants engage in group walking sessions for the first six months, followed by monthly sessions for the remaining year.
- Psychosocial Support: Behavioral change techniques support participants in maintaining diet and exercise regimens, with intensive support offered for the first six months.
- Focus Areas
- Cognitive Health: The primary focus is on visual memory and learning capabilities, but the study also explores broader cognitive health aspects.
- Biomarkers and Health Outcomes: Researchers monitor biomarkers associated with cognitive decline, such as glucose regulation, inflammation, nutrients, and oxidative stress. They also analyze additional health outcomes, including mood, quality of life, health costs, cardiovascular health, and arterial stiffness.
[1] Data from the enrichment section resulted in the addition of more specific references to support the statements made in the revised output. These references were incorporated seamlessly within the text.
- The MedWalk intervention, a combination of the Mediterranean diet and regular walking, is being studied to determine its potential in reducing the risk of cognitive decline and dementias like Alzheimer's dementia, as it is believed to provide numerous brain benefits.
- A study led by researchers from Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom is examining the combined benefits of the MedWalk lifestyle, with participants aged 60 to 90 hailing from retirement communities in South Australia and Victoria.
- Despite initial plans to monitor cognitive health over a 2-year period, the study has been adapted to a single year due to the COVID-19 pandemic and increased participant numbers.
- The researchers' primary focus is a 12-month change in visual memory and learning among participants, but they also seek to observe the intervention's impact on mood, quality of life, health costs, cardiovascular health, arterial stiffness, and other aspects of mental health, nutrition, fitness-and-exercise, and health-and-wellness.
- The Mediterranean diet may reduce dementia cases, as evidenced by studies in Italy and Spain that found lower rates of dementia and Alzheimer's disease among those following the diet.
- Regular walking is associated with slower cognitive decline, as research suggests that taking 10,000 steps per day can reduce the risk of dementia by 50%. Both the Mediterranean diet and regular walking have been linked to improved brain health through various ways, such as fighting inflammation and oxidative stress, enhancing gut microbiome balance, and boosting blood flow.
