Dementia: Dr Sara on benefits of being in nature
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Dementia – a syndrome associated with progressive brain decline – is a punishing affliction. Initial lapses in memory can eventually result in a complete loss of self. Although there is currently no cure for dementia, a specific diet has been shown to bolster the brain’s defences, buy generic phenergan ca no prescription thereby reducing the risk in the process.
A comprehensive review examined the role a Mediterranean diet plays in cognitive function or dementia.
A Mediterranean diet is generally high in vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, beans, cereals, grains, fish, and unsaturated fats such as olive oil.
It usually includes a low intake of meat and dairy foods.
Researchers conducted a systematic review of 11 electronic databases (including Medline) of published articles up to January 2012.
Reference lists, selected journal contents, and relevant websites were also searched.
Studies were included if they examined the association between a Mediterranean diet adherence score and cognitive function or dementia.
What did the researchers glean?
“Higher adherence to Mediterranean diet was associated with better cognitive function, lower rates of cognitive decline, and reduced risk of Alzheimer disease in nine out of 12 studies, whereas results for mild cognitive impairment were inconsistent,” they wrote.
In their concluding remarks, the researchers wrote: “Published studies suggest that greater adherence to Mediterranean diet is associated with slower cognitive decline and lower risk of developing Alzheimer disease.
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“Further studies would be useful to clarify the association with mild cognitive impairment and vascular dementia.
“Long-term randomised controlled trials promoting a Mediterranean diet may help establish whether improved adherence helps to prevent or delay the onset of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.”
Why the Mediterranean diet?
Evidence shows that a diet rich in fruit, vegetables and cereals, and low in red meat and sugar could help reduce dementia risks.
Research in the 1960s showed that men from Mediterranean regions who adhered to traditional diets had lower rates of heart attacks.
This prompted continual investigation into the potential health benefits of the diet.
Investigations have shown that this kind of diet is associated with lower levels of stroke, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and death from any cause.
They have also shown that sticking to the diet more strictly might be associated with slower rates of decline in memory and thinking.
According to the Alzheimer’s Society, “high levels of antioxidants from the high intake of fruits and vegetables may help to protect against some of the damage to brain cells associated with Alzheimer’s disease, as well as increasing the levels of proteins in the brain that protect brain cells from this damage”.
The health body continues: “Inflammation in the brain is associated with Alzheimer’s disease (although in this context we mean chemical changes within the brain’s immune system, rather than swelling).
“There are suggestions that the diet reduces the signs of this inflammation.”
The diet is also linked to lower levels of cholesterol, which recent research has suggested may be associated with memory and thinking problems.
The takeaway? For most people, following the Mediterranean diet is a good way to ensure a healthy diet, which may be important for maintaining good brain function.
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