Improved Brain Function: Adopting the Mediterranean diet and maintaining an active lifestyle could potentially safeguard cognitive health.
Checking in on the MedWalk Study: Unraveling the Combined Effects of a Mediterranean Diet and Walking on Brain Health
Scientists are pooling their efforts to explore the impact of the MedWalk intervention—a mix of the Mediterranean diet and regular walking—on cognitive decline and dementia. Here's what we know so far about this intriguing study.
The MedWalk Research Agenda:
The "MedWalk" intervention is a combination of dietary modifications and a supervised walking program, complemented with behavioral change techniques.
Participants receive intensive support for the initial six months, with ongoing assistance for the following six months to keep them motivated.
*The study's main focus is the impact on visual memory and learning, assessed over a 12-month period.
Expanding the Study's Reach:
- Originally aiming for a 2-year follow-up, the COVID-19 outbreak has necessitated a switch to a one-year study period.*
- To accommodate this change, researchers have increased their participant count, recruiting individuals from independent living retirement communities and the broader community.*
Health Benefits at the Forefront:
Aside from cognitive improvement, researchers seek to observe the intervention’s effect on mood, quality of life, health costs, cardiovascular health, and arterial stiffness.
A Mediterranean Diet foroptimal Brain Health:
- Certified nutritionist and Mediterranean diet expert, Conner Middelmann, mentioned that studies have linked a Mediterranean diet to fewer instances of dementia.*
- Other studies suggest an association between this diet and lower rates of Alzheimer’s disease, the most frequent form of dementia.*
Middelmann warned that while these studies imply a link between the Mediterranean diet and reduced dementia risk, many factors can influence dementia risk, including genetics, lifestyle, and overall health.
Walking: A Powerful Tool for Brain Health:
A dose-dependent relationship has been established between walking and dementia prevention: Taking 10,000 steps daily can lower dementia risk by half.
Walking is known to increase blood flow to the brain, reduce inflammation, enhance brain activity, and may lessen feelings of stress while boosting well-being.
Incorporating social elements and exposure to nature further amplifies the cognitive benefits of walking.
Looking Ahead:
The MedWalk study's data collection concludes in 2023, shedding light on the potential combined benefits of a Mediterranean diet and walking on brain health.
Stay tuned for more updates on this exciting study and get a step closer to preserving our cognitive abilities!
Additional Insights:
- A Mediterranean diet favors fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fats and is linked to reduced risk of cognitive decline and dementia.*
- Regular physical activity, including walking, is correlated with improved cognitive function and reduced risk of dementia.*
- The primary outcomes in these studies usually center on cognitive performance, incidence of dementia, changes in brain structure or function, and quality of life.
- The MedWalk intervention, a combination of dietary modifications and a supervised walking program, aims to uncover its impact on cognitive decline and dementia.
- Researchers, seeking to maintain the initial study structure, have increased the participant count to accommodate the shift from a 2-year follow-up to a one-year study period due to COVID-19.
- Aside from cognitive improvement, the study also focuses on observing the intervention’s effects on mood, quality of life, health costs, cardiovascular health, and arterial stiffness.
- Studies have linked the Mediterranean diet, a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fats, to fewer instances of dementia.
- Other studies associate this diet with lower rates of Alzheimer’s disease, the most frequent form of dementia.
- Walking, which increases blood flow to the brain and reduces inflammation, is known to enhance brain activity and boost well-being.
- A dose-dependent relationship has been established between walking and dementia prevention; taking 10,000 steps daily can lower dementia risk by half.
- The MedWalk study, which concludes its data collection in 2023, will shed light on the potential combined benefits of a Mediterranean diet and walking on brain health, potentially offering insights into maintaining cognitive abilities in the future.
