Maintaining Brain Health: Adherence to Mediterranean Diet and Regular Exercise May Offer Protection
Rowdy Research Alert:
Get a load of this: Scientists are tambourine-ing their way through a hootenanny of a study—codenamed "MedWalk"! What's the big deal, you ask? Well, this research is on a roll to discover if chowing down Mediterranean grub and strolling your socks off might help curb dementia and cognitive decline, baby!
Here's a lowdown of this sick beat research:
Thestudy, an absolute wild one, is all about examining whether a life lived on the Med-n-Walk diet can help thwart cognitive decline and various cryptic forms of dementia, including none other than the feared Alzheimer's! Med-n-Walk is just a fancy term for combining the heavenly delights of the Mediterranean diet and the sweet, steady rhythm of walking.
Let me tell ya, bro, research ain't been shy about linking both the Mediterranean diet and regular jogging to a hale and hearty brain, but this research’s goal is to verify whether the ever-so-sexy Med-n-Walk intervention delivers the gold!
Driven by researchers tenderly spun from Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom, this study has been mother Hubbard's cupboard due to COVID, but it's still cookin' up tasty results! They've already thrown down all their test recipes in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease!
This study—which was initially designed to span a leisurely 2 years before being whacked by COVID—has chopped its length to a more modest, 1-year timeline. However, the studious dudes behind the research have got their stars aligned, thinking they can still gin up strong ass findings with their revised approach!
These guys got their bead on the big kahuna: a 12-month change in visual memory and learning among the participants! But remember, they're a hungry bunch, and they're keeping their eyes peeled on a whole host of scores, including mood, life quality, and medical bills, as well as heart health and the stiffness of arteries!
Chill pill alert
We're talking about 60 to 90-year-old folks living in South Australia and Victoria—so not exactly your typical group of youngsters! They enlisted a fresh wave of participants from independent senior apartments, and yup, you guessed it, they swooped in some newbies straight from the community as well, thanks to COVID’s gracious invitation!
You're probably wondering what the stakes are, right? Special attention is paid to markers like glucose regulation, inflammation, essential nutrients, and good ol' oxidative stress, which experts think might play a part in cognitive decline and creeping neurodegenerative disorders.
Participants are either getting slotted into the Med-n-Walk crew or the control group that keeps munching down their usual noms and keeping on their daily stroll
The Med-n-Walk squad gets the whole enchilada, starting with dietary adjustments and a guided stroll program. The Aussie researchers are gleefully dishing out the goods, like free extra-virgin olive oil, since it's pretty dang essential in the Mediterranean diet —get it?
Anyhoo, after a quick physical test to clock their aerobic fitness, the participants are shuffling their shoes for group strolls for the first 6 months, followed by monthly jaunts for the rest of the year.
You might be asking: "For Pete's sake, what’s so unique about the Med diet, and the walking?"
Well, buddy, let me run ya through it real quick:
- Mediterranean Menu: This diet's packed with scrumptious fruits, veggies, whole grains, and hella healthy fats! It's no secret that it's been a heart-health hero for yonks.
- Stepping Out: Regular exercise, especially like a daily stroll, is known to boost physical prowess and the ol' noggin!
Hold up, is all this hoopla about Med-n-Walk true, or is it just a load of hokey pokey, pally?
Way-ay down under, a nutrition expert certified in the Mediterranean diet, Conner Middelmann—who ain't involved in this kerfuffle —soothes our suspicions: Past studies suggest a connection between the Mediterranean diet and fewer head cakes, like dementia! Other snippets of research, from the UK and U.S., discovered knitting links between the Mediterranean diet and reduced Alzheimer’s rates. But let's not jump the gun—it's a murky situation, with factors like genes, lifestyle, and overall health weighing in as well.
Dementia prevention ain't just a cup of joe; it's a whole pot of tea, including a fit diet, exercise, and something the Aussie researchers like to call the Med-n-Walk mix—sharing meals with loved ones and regular jaunts in the fresh air!
"Heck yeah, let's rock it" says brain health coach Ryan Glatt, not affiliated with this guy stuff, "walking can make your brain function better with good ol' fashioned blood flow!" More than that, it could fry those feelings of stress and elevate overall well-being. Plus, walking can infuse social bonding and nature-gazing—both of which might give your cranium a smidgeon of extra love!
So here's to the Med-n-Walk research—may it keep on groovin’, bringing us one step closer to solving the riddles of dementia and keeping our noggins in tip-top shape! The research’s data party ends in 2023, so cross your fingers for some exciting news!
- The Med-n-Walk study, combining the Mediterranean diet and walking, aims to determine if this combination can help combat dementia, Alzheimer's, and cognitive decline.
- Despite delays due to COVID-19, the study, led by researchers from Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom, is still producing intriguing results and has published its test recipes in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease.
- With COVID-19 altering the original 2-year timeline to a 1-year study, the researchers are confident they can still yield significant findings with their revised approach.
- The study focuses on senior participants, aged 60 to 90, from South Australia and Victoria, enlisting some from independent senior apartments and others from the community due to COVID-19.
- Participants are divided into two groups: one adhering to the Med-n-Walk diet and exercise program, and the other following their usual diet and exercise routine as a control group.
- The Med-n-Walk group receives dietary adjustments, guided stroll programs, and free extra-virgin olive oil—an essential component of the Mediterranean diet—as part of their intervention.
