Maintaining Brain Health: Adopting Mediterranean Diet and Leading an Active Lifestyle Could Offer Protection
MedWalk Intervention Aims to Improve Cognitive Health Through Combined Mediterranean Diet and Regular Walking
Researchers from Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom are currently investigating the potential benefits of a combined intervention called MedWalk on cognitive decline and dementia. MedWalk involves following a Mediterranean diet and engaging in regular walking exercises.
Previous research has associated both a Mediterranean diet and regular walking with improved brain health. This study seeks to determine whether the combined intervention yields additional benefits. Due to delays and interruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the study's data-collection period will be completed by the end of 2023.
The primary focus of the study is a 12-month change in visual memory and learning for participants. Researchers are additionally interested in observing the intervention's impact on mood, quality of life, health costs, cardiovascular health, and arterial stiffness.
The study involves 60-to-90-year-old individuals living in South Australia and Victoria. Participants were recruited from independent living retirement communities and, due to the pandemic, from the larger community as well. This expanded sample should provide sufficiently strong findings, according to the study's authors.
Participants were divided into either a MedWalk intervention group or a control group that maintains their usual diet and activity level. The MedWalk intervention includes dietary modification and a supervised walking regimen, supplemented by psychosocial behavioral change techniques. Participants receive intensive support for the first six months, with additional assistance remaining available for the following six months.
Instruction is provided on the unique aspects of a Mediterranean diet to help participants understand the basis for this meal plan. For example, participants receive free extra-virgin olive oil, a fundamental component of a Mediterranean diet, as well as other foods.
After an assessment of baseline aerobic fitness, participants engage in group walking sessions for the first six months, followed by monthly sessions for the remainder of the test year.
A certified nutritionist specializing in the Mediterranean diet, Conner Middelmann, noted to Medical News Today that studies suggest a link between the Mediterranean diet and fewer cases of dementia. Other research has found an association between a Mediterranean diet and lower rates of Alzheimer's disease, the most common form of dementia. However, researchers emphasize that genetics, lifestyle, and overall health also play significant roles in dementia risk.
While specific findings from the MedWalk intervention study are not yet available, a Mediterranean diet's potential cognitive benefits are believed to stem from its antioxidant content, which combats oxidative stress and inflammation; its omega-3 fatty acids, particularly docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), crucial for brain health; its fiber content, which maintains gut microbiome balance; its low processed grain and sugar content, reducing the risk of insulin resistance and inflammation; and its discouragement of ultra-processed foods, linked to dementia.
Similar benefits are associated with regular walking, including increased brain blood flow, improved cognitive function, reduced stress, and feelings of overall well-being. The current study aims to determine the combined impact of these interventions on cognitive health.
- The combined intervention, MedWalk, is being investigated for its potential benefits on cognitive decline and dementia, involving a Mediterranean diet and regular walking exercises.
- Researchers are interested in the 12-month change in visual memory and learning for participants, as well as the impact on mood, quality of life, health costs, cardiovascular health, and arterial stiffness.
- The study involves individuals aged 60 to 90, recruited from independent living retirement communities and the larger community, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Participants in the MedWalk intervention group undergo dietary modification and a supervised walking regimen, with psychosocial behavioral change techniques, receiving intensive support for the first six months.
- Conner Middelmann, a certified nutritionist specializing in the Mediterranean diet, suggests a possible link between the diet and fewer cases of dementia, as well as lower rates of Alzheimer's disease.
- The combined Mediterranean diet and regular walking are believed to offer cognitive benefits due to their antioxidant content, omega-3 fatty acids, fiber content, low processed grain and sugar content, and discouragement of ultra-processed foods, with the current study aiming to determine their combined impact on cognitive health.
