Improved Brain Health: Mediterranean Diet and Regular Exercise Potentially Offer Protective Benefits
Taking It to the Streets: The MedWalk Revolution
The fascinating research world is buzzing about a potentially groundbreaking intervention - the MedWalk. Coined as a pairing of the Mediterranean diet and regular walking, MedWalk aims to improve cognitive health and lower the risk of dementia.
Brain-Boosting Duo
Previous studies have linked the Mediterranean diet and daily exercise to cognitive benefits, but this research seeks to uncover the combined impact of these lifestyle choices. The investigation is led by an international team of scientists from Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom.
Despite a pandemic-induced pause, the study is moving forward, and its data has been shared in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease. The researchers anticipate completing the project by the end of 2023.
On a Mission: Key Findings
The primary focus of the study is whether the MedWalk intervention can lead to an improvement in visual memory and learning among participants over a 12-month period. Additionally, the study aims to observe the intervention's effect on mood, quality of life, health costs, cardiovascular health, arterial stiffness, and related biomarkers.
The Recipe for Successful Aging
The MedWalk intervention involves following a Mediterranean-style diet and adhering to a supervised walking regimen, boosted by psychosocial behavioral change techniques. For the first 6 months, participants receive intensive support, with continued assistance for the following 6 months to help them stay committed to the new lifestyle.
Subjects participating in the study are seniors aged 60 to 90, represented by independent living retirement communities in the Australian states of South Australia and Victoria. A pandemic-prompted expansion has included recruiting participants from the larger community as well.
A Mediterranean Twist
To help participants better understand the Mediterranean diet, researchers are offering resources such as extra-virgin olive oil and other foods that are crucial to the diet. Following an assessment of their baseline aerobic fitness, participants engage in group walking sessions for the initial 6 months, followed by monthly sessions for the rest of the study duration.
A Helping Hand
Licensed nutritionist Conner Middelmann, an expert in the Mediterranean diet, praised the potential of the MedWalk intervention, citing evidence that a Mediterranean diet is associated with a reduced risk of dementia in various studies. However, Middelmann emphasized that maintaining a healthy diet is only one piece of the puzzle, and factors such as genetics, lifestyle, and overall health should also be considered.
Middelmann highlighted several reasons why the Mediterranean diet can contribute to brain health, including its antioxidant content, omega-3 fatty acids, and fiber-rich profile. The diet's positive effects can help reduce oxidative stress and inflammation, improve cognitive function, and promote a balanced gut microbiome, among other benefits.
Striding Toward Better Brain Health
Walking has also been linked to improved cognitive health and reduced dementia risk in numerous studies. Research demonstrates that taking as few as 10,000 steps a day can lower dementia risk by 50%. Brain health coach Ryan Glatt explained that walking may improve brain health through increased blood flow, enhanced brain activity, reduced stress, and exposure to nature.
Exciting times are ahead for the MedWalk study as the data-collection period concludes in late 2023, and preliminary findings may pave the way for a new, comprehensive approach to cognitive health and dementia prevention.
- The MedWalk intervention combines the Mediterranean diet and regular walking, with the goal of improving cognitive health and lowering the risk of dementia.
- Researchers from Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom are investigating the combined impact of the Mediterranean diet and daily exercise on cognitive benefits, through the MedWalk study.
- Subjects participating in the MedWalk study are seniors aged 60 to 90, receiving intensive support for the first 6 months to help them adopt and maintain the new lifestyle.
- Conner Middelmann, a licensed nutritionist, commends the potential of the MedWalk intervention, suggesting that a Mediterranean diet can lower the risk of dementia.
- The Mediterranean diet is rich in antioxidants, omega-3 fatty acids, and fiber, which can contribute to improved brain health by reducing oxidative stress, improving cognitive function, and promoting a balanced gut microbiome.
- Numerous studies have shown that taking as few as 10,000 steps a day can lower dementia risk by 50%, supporting the idea that walking may improve cognitive health and reduce dementia risk.
