Alzheimer’s disease is estimated to affect around 5.8 million people in the United States. One in every ten Americans over the age of 65 falls into this category. A five-year-old diet regimen developed by researchers at Rush University in Chicago was designed to address this ghastly figure.
Using a combination of the heart-healthy Mediterranean diet and the DASH diet, this eating plan has been developed for people with diabetes (a meal plan that helps lower blood pressure). To delay the onset of age-related brain damage, it was necessary to provide explicit instructions on what to eat and what not to consume. Researchers termed it the Mediterranean DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay diet after the Mediterranean DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay diet. The MIND diet is a type of diet that promotes mental health.
The scientific basis for the MIND Diet
Recent research has revealed that adopting the MIND diet can reduce your chance of developing Alzheimer’s disease by as much as 50 percent.
Two large clinical trials are underway to investigate the effects of diet on cardiovascular disease and other factors, including obesity. For the first study, cognitive function (as measured by test scores) will be assessed over a three-year period in those who follow the MIND diet in comparison to individuals following a conventional diet. Both diets will assist you in losing weight. Those at high risk of cognitive decline will be the focus of the second trial, which will look at lifestyle treatments for older adults. Diet, exercise habits, cognitive stimulation, and self-monitoring cardiovascular risk variables will all be monitored over the course of two years in this experiment.
During the trials, researchers will look into other brain-protective factors such as exercise and weight control.
What foods are you consuming while on the MIND diet?
The MIND diet consists of 15 foods, 10 of which are beneficial to the brain and 5 of which are detrimental.
Take pleasure in these ten delectable dishes.
- Vegetables with a lot of leafy greens
- Vegetables
- Nuts
- Berries
- Olive oil is a type of oil that comes from the olive tree.
- Whole grains are a type of grain that contains no refined grains.
- Beans
- Fish
- Poultry
- Wine
Dieters should take at least three servings of whole-grain every day, as well as a meal packed with leafy greens and one more vegetable, according to the experts. Nuts and beans should be consumed twice a week on average, according to the USDA. A minimum of twice a week should be spent on vegetables and poultry consumption. Fish should be ingested no more than once a week at the most. Every day, a glass of wine is offered for purchase.
5 items that you should limit or avoid from your diet
- Foods that are high in sugar (sweets, pastries, etc.)
- Trans and saturated fats are harmful to your health (like margarine and butter)
- Beef is a type of red meat.
- Food that has been fried
- Cheese
MIND dieters should limit their intake of butter, cheese, and fried or fast meals (to less than 1 tablespoon per day) in order to maintain optimal brain function.
Are you interested in trying the MIND diet?
The MIND diet, according to experts, provides a variety of advantages. It emphasizes the consumption of a range of plant-based foods such as leafy greens and vegetables while restricting the consumption of sugar and saturated fat.
This diet is centered on whole foods and is abundant in veggies, which is an uncommon occurrence in most American diets nowadays. It aids in the maintenance of blood sugar levels throughout the day as well as the prevention of cravings. Clients are also delighted by the exquisite flavors of natural foods once more.
‘It is high in vitamins and minerals naturally present in legumes, beans, and vegetables that boost brain health without causing the insulin and sugar levels to jump and fall, as they do with other foods.’
She also emphasized how the diet has a favorable impact on both mental and intestinal health. There is unquestionably a relationship between what we eat and how we feel.”
The MIND diet can be an effective first step in establishing healthy eating habits in the long run
You might begin by increasing the amount of color in your diet. Reduce your reliance on refined grains and increase your intake of whole grains such as quinoa, brown rice, and 100 percent whole-grain bread. Red and red-processed meats should be consumed just once a week at the most. Reduce your intake of sugary beverages and desserts.
If you want to increase your brain health while also maintaining appropriate blood sugar levels and blood pressure, the MIND dieta is a good alternative.
When it comes to heart health, the Mediterranean diet comes out on top. The DASH diet is recommended for people who have high blood pressure. These two diets have both been demonstrated to be useful in preserving the brain against cognitive decline. It indicates that persons who have had a stroke may be safeguarded from dementia if they consume foods that are healthy to the brain.
The Mediterranean DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay eating plan places a strong emphasis on particular foods that have been found in clinical trials to reduce the progression of cognitive decline. It also includes a list of food groups that should be avoided because of their negative effects on the brain.
According to the MIND diet’s creators, an ischemic stroke can cause the brain to age by 3.6 years if the symptoms of the stroke are not addressed immediately. This is most likely why stroke survivors are twice as likely as the general population to develop dementia, and roughly 20% of stroke victims develop dementia throughout the course of their lives.
According to Kate Patton, “The capacity to influence these outcomes through a healthy diet has significant ramifications for the thousands of people who suffer a stroke each year” (RD).
Food as a kind of treatment
Since its debut in 2015, the MIND diet has been shown to significantly reduce cognitive deterioration in older persons. According to the findings of the study conducted on healthy Chicagoans, those who followed the MIND diet performed as if they were 7.5 years older than those who did not.
Early this year, researchers presented findings from a study that evaluated the Mediterranean, DASH, and MIND diets for stroke victims at the International Stroke Conference in Chicago. Following the MIND diet for 20 years, the researchers discovered a 20-year difference in cognitive function between individuals who followed it and those who did not.
The MIND diet is a one-of-a-kind technique of eating.
Each diet promotes the consumption of lean meats and fish, whole grains, and fresh produce, while discouraging the consumption of salt. There are several significant variations between them.
Dietary restrictions on the MIND diet are different from those on the DASH or Mediterranean diets in that they place restrictions on the number and type of fruits and vegetables that can be consumed. MIND does not encourage consuming any other kind of fruit. A potato, dairy product, or more than one fish meal each week are not recommended, according to the guidelines.
Dieters following the MIND diet are encouraged to consume green, leafy vegetables in addition to one more vegetable each day. While the Mediterranean and DASH diets urge you to consume a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, the SAD diet encourages you to consume a limited selection of fruits and vegetables.
It is recommended that you limit your intake of butter and cheese as part of the MIND diet, which focuses on dairy products. The Mediterranean diet allows for the consumption of eggs and encourages the consumption of dairy products in moderation.
The MIND diet forbids the consumption of items that have a harmful impact on the brain. Red meat, processed meats, fast meals, sweets, pastries, butter, and stick margarine are some of the things on this list.
Is it really worth it?
It is not necessary to adhere to the MIND diet to the letter. According to the MIND diet’s creators, it should be used to guide you in avoiding brain-damaging foods and encouraging brain-friendly foods in your eating habits. The MIND diet would be preferred by the majority of individuals if it could help them avoid dementia.
A five-year clinical study will be completed in 2021, and the results of this study will be published in early 2021. A grant from the National Institute on Aging is providing support for this study. It will examine the effects of the MIND diet on 600 senior adults, with some of them undergoing brain scans as part of the study.
