By Jackie Choffo, Dietetic Intern Even with today’s high-tech gadgets and rapidly expanding medical knowledge, the human brain is still not fully understood. However, people are gaining interest on how to “eat for a healthy brain.” When talking about brain health, you have to consider the disease states that occur when there is damage to the brain. One of the most common symptoms of brain damage is dementia, or loss of mental ability to the point where it interferes with daily life. The most common cause of dementia is Alzheimer’s disease, currently the 6th leading cause of overall mortality in the United States. But why would a college student be concerned about a disease that largely affects people aged 65 or older? Studies are now showing that healthy eating habits earlier in life play a crucial role in reducing your risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. This research is based off studying two eating patterns, the Mediterranean Diet and the DASH Diet. Let’s look at these two diets more closely. The Mediterranean Diet This diet draws inspiration from the eating patterns of people in Greece, Southern Italy, and Spain. It is highly focused on plant foods such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains; foods containing heart-healthy fats including olive oil; spices and occasional fish, poultry and dairy. Red meat and salt are limited. It’s not exactly known how the Mediterranean diet may help delay or prevent dementia. Some theories suggest high amounts of antioxidants from foods in the diet may play a role, while others think the high amount of beneficial fats may contribute to vascular health, which can contribute to better brain health. Principles from this diet can be incorporated into a healthy eating pattern such as limiting red meat consumption, focusing on fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, and including mono and polyunsaturated fats such as olive oil and fatty fish. The DASH Diet Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, or the DASH diet was originally designed for people who had hypertension or were at risk for developing the disease. The DASH diet involves consuming lots of fruits, vegetables and whole grains, limiting saturated fats, salt and added sugars, and aiming to be high in potassium. DASH is very similar to the Mediterranean diet but puts less emphasis on olive oil as the primary fat source and does not promote regular alcohol consumption. Several studies have found the DASH diet improves cardiovascular and vascular health by reducing blood lipid levels and blood pressure. Since brain health and vascular health have been correlated, this could be the reason that the Alzheimer’s Association endorses this eating pattern. However, more research is needed in the area of the DASH Diet and Alzheimer’s Disease. What’s Next: The MIND Diet The MIND diet emphasizes foods shown to support a healthy brain and recommends limiting potentially damaging choices. It has taken principles from both the Mediterranean Diet and the DASH Diet to make recommendations about general eating patterns. Benefits to brain health have been seen even with moderate adherence to the diet, but the more closely the diet is followed, the greater the benefits. You are probably already following some of these recommendations! Try and add a couple more to your daily eating routine and your brain will thank you later! For more information on why this MIND Diet targets brain health, check out the full article in Today’s Dietitian The Bottom Line
Through all this research that came out of Rush University, there is one very important take away message: reduction in Alzheimer’s risk was seen even in participants who only moderately adhered to the MIND Diet. If you can adopt some of the recommendations of the MIND Diet, do it! Other lifestyle factors may play into Alzheimer’s disease risk as well. Try to stay socially active, exercise, limit excessive alcohol intake, and not smoke tobacco to help decrease risk. That means all the studying and activities you are involved in during college are keeping your brain active! Stay tuned for more research into brain health and Alzheimer’s Disease in the coming years.
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3/23/2021 03:22:55 am
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