By Paula Cohen
March 30, 2015 / 6:00 AM / CBS News
Doctors have been saying for years that what you eat can
affect the health of your heart. Now there's growing evidence that the same is true
for your brain.
A new study by researchers at Rush University Medical Center
in Chicago shows a diet plan they developed -- appropriately called the MIND
diet -- may reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease by
as much as 53 percent.
Even those who didn't stick to the diet perfectly but
followed it "moderately well" reduced their risk of Alzheimer's by
about a third.
Diet appears to be just one of "many factors that play
into who gets the disease," said nutritional epidemiologist Martha Clare
Morris, PhD, the lead author of the MIND diet study. Genetics and other factors
like smoking, exercise and education also play a role. But the MIND diet helped
slow the rate of cognitive decline and protect against Alzheimer's regardless
of other risk factors.
The study, published in the journal Alzheimer's &
Dementia, looked at more than 900 people between the ages of 58 and 98 who
filled out food questionnaires and underwent repeated neurological testing. It
found participants whose diets most closely followed the MIND recommendations
had a level of cognitive function the equivalent of a person 7.5 years younger.
The MIND diet breaks its recommendations down into 10
"brain healthy food groups" a person should eat and five
"unhealthy food groups" to avoid.
It combines many elements of two other popular nutrition
plans which have been proven to benefit heart health: the Mediterranean diet and
the DASH (Dietary Approaches
to Stop Hypertension) diet. (MIND stands for Mediterranean-DASH Intervention
for Neurodegenerative Delay.)
But the MIND diet also differs from those plans in a few
significant ways and proved more effective than either of them at reducing the
risk of Alzheimer's.
Green leafy
vegetables
The MIND diet recommends frequent servings of green leafy
vegetables. Kale, spinach, broccoli, collards and other greens are packed with
vitamins A and C and other nutrients. At least two servings a week can help,
and researchers found six or more servings a week provide the greatest brain
benefits.
The Mediterranean and DASH diets do not specifically
recommend these types of vegetables, but the MIND diet study found that
including greens in addition to other veggies made a difference in reducing the
risk of Alzheimer's.
Other vegetables
Like other diets focused on weight loss and heart health,
the MIND diet emphasizes the importance of vegetables for brain health. The
researchers recommend eating a salad and at least one other vegetable every day
to reduce the risk of Alzheimer's.
Nuts
Nuts are a good snack for brain health, according to the
MIND diet study. Nuts contain healthy fats, fiber and antioxidants, and other
studies have found they can help lower bad cholesterol and reduce the risk of
heart disease. The MIND diet recommends eating nuts at least five times a week.
Berries
Berries are the only fruit specifically recommended in the
MIND diet. "Blueberries are one of the more potent foods in terms of
protecting the brain," Morris said. She noted that strawberries have also
shown benefits in past studies looking at the effect of food on cognitive
function. The MIND diet recommends eating berries at least twice a week.
Beans
If beans aren't a regular part of your diet, they should be.
High in fiber and protein, and low in calories and fat, they also help keep
your mind sharp as part of the MIND diet. The researchers recommend eating
beans three times a week to help reduce the risk of Alzheimer's.
Whole grains
Whole grains are a key component of the MIND diet. It
recommends at least three servings a day.
Fish
The MIND diet study found eating fish at least once a week
helps protect brain function. However, there's no need to go overboard; unlike
the Mediterranean diet, which recommends eating fish almost every day, the MIND
diet says once a week is enough.
Poultry
Poultry is another part of a brain-healthy eating plan,
according to the MIND diet. It recommends two or more servings a week.
Olive oil
Olive oil beat out other forms of cooking oil and fats in
the MIND diet. The researchers found people who used olive oil as their primary
oil at home saw greater protection against cognitive decline.
Wine
Raise a toast to the MIND diet: it recommends a glass of
wine every day. Just one, though.
Wine rounds out the list of of 10 "brain healthy"
food groups that help protect against Alzheimer's: green leafy vegetables,
other vegetables, nuts, berries, beans, whole grains, fish, poultry, olive oil
and wine.
Now here are the five food groups it says you
should avoid to reduce your risk of developing dementia...
Red meat
Red meat isn't banned in the MIND diet, but the researchers
say you should limit consumption to no more than four servings a week to help
protect brain health. That's more generous than the Mediterranean diet, which
restricts red meat to just one serving a week.
Butter and stick
margarine
Butter and stick margarine should be limited to less than a
tablespoon per day on the MIND diet. Brain-healthy olive oil can often be used
instead.
Cheese
Cheese may be delicious but it doesn't do your brain any
favors, according to the MIND diet study. Eat cheese no more than once a week
if you want to reduce your risk of Alzheimer's.
Pastries and sweets
You already know they're not so good for your waistline, and
it turns out pastries and other sweets could have a negative effect on brain
health as well. The MIND diet recommends limiting yourself to no more than five
of these treats per week.
Fried foods and fast
food
Fried foods and fast food round out the MIND diet's list of
unhealthy food groups. Limit your indulgence in fried food to no more than once
a week for optimal brain health.
But even if you slip up on the diet from time to time, the
researchers say it can still have benefits. Even "modest adherence"
to the MIND diet measurably reduced a person's chances of developing
Alzheimer's disease, and the longer you stick with it, the greater the benefits.
"People who eat this diet consistently over the years
get the best protection," said lead author Martha Clare Morris.
"You'll be healthier if you've been doing the right thing for a long
time."
First
published on March 30, 2015 / 6:00 AM
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