Brain food: Studies are starting to zero in on the why and how of the diet-brain connection

Have you ever heard that fish is a food for the brain?

It may seem like an old woman’s story, but fish are not only good for us, but also an important element of a brain-friendly diet associated with a reduced risk of Alzheimer’s disease and the subsequent development of Parkinson’s disease. There is increasing evidence that it is. Mind diet.

The MIND (Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Delayed Neurodegenerative Degeneration) diet was developed by American nutrition epidemiologist Martha Claire Morris, who was working on the relationship between the brain and the diet. In 2015, Morris discovered that adhering to a MIND diet rich in fish, vegetables and legumes reduced the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. diet.Since then, the association between MIND and subsequent onset Symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease have been confirmed.

Most recently, researchers at the University of British Columbia have established a 17-year correlation between the Mediterranean and MIND diets and the onset of Parkinson’s disease symptoms. Men also benefited, but it was still quite dramatic for eight years.

Dr. Silke Appel-Cresswell, an associate professor and neurologist at the UBC School of Medicine, said: “This is definitely not the cause. It requires really big research, but our results show that this diet increases the age of onset of Parkinson’s disease or reduces the rate of diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease. It fits the pattern because it is very consistent with other studies that have shown to be relevant. “

The two diets examined by UBC researchers are related, but not identical. MIND is a hybrid diet derived from two other diets: the Mediterranean diet and DASH (a diet to stop high blood pressure).

The Mediterranean diet probably doesn’t need to be introduced. The latter, DASH, is lesser known, albeit highly regarded, because it is based on some of the most solid nutritional studies ever conducted. In the 1990s, the National Institutes of Health funded a large research project to address the national blood pressure problem. One of the greatest outcomes of the result was a diet backed by evidence to reduce the amount of salt, sugar and lean meat. Lean meat and, instead, more fiber, vegetables, and, of course, more fish.

The family tree of the MIND diet here may sound a bit complicated, but the diet itself is pretty simple from the user’s point of view. There is a list of foods we are supposed to eat on a regular basis, including many of the usual suspects, such as berries, nuts, vegetables (especially leafy vegetables), whole grains, beans, fish and chicken. Cooking with olive oil or enjoying a glass of wine with a supper is also a good list. (Fu!) It is not expected to have butter (or at least severely restricted) and eat more than one serving of lean meat, fried foods, sweets and cheese per week.

Not only that, but the general idea is clear. Eat more plants, lean white meats, and treat cheese, butter, and sweets as something you can only occasionally taste.

Except for that bit about cheese, this doesn’t sound too difficult to implement — at least to me. And given that not only are there data suggesting that a good diet can help our brain, but there are also studies showing that the opposite is likely to be true, we almost eliminate cheese. May be recommended. A bad diet can be harmful to our brain if it functions in humans similar to the mice observed by researcher Rebecca McPherson at Brock University. She found that a poor diet was associated with Alzheimer’s disease in middle-aged mice.

Studies like these are also beginning to focus on the reasons and methods of diet-brain connectivity.

“Inflammation is undoubtedly a factor in neurodegenerative diseases,” said McPherson, associate professor of health sciences at Brock. “And several other diseases, including obesity, insulin resistance, and cardiovascular disease, all increase the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.”

It’s still unclear how all these conditions are related, but the good news is that diet and exercise seem to reduce risk, perhaps at a significant level. And the news is finally out there, beyond the cliché that fish is the food of the brain.

McPherson said: “I think there is growing awareness that neurodegenerative diseases such as late-onset Alzheimer’s disease have many correctable risk factors.”

Changing your diet in real life is another story. We mainly know what to eat and what not to eat, but we fail for a variety of reasons, both personal and structural. However, Appel-Cresswell said all studies, including her on Parkinson’s disease, indicate the need to address these issues.

“I think it’s an investment that society really needs to make, as the subsequent health care system can save so much money,” she said. “Even if someone gets these obstacles and delays becoming dependent on care for a few years, it will save a huge amount of money, so I think it’s a really high time.”

She wants others to be surprised and inspired by the impressive promises of a diet like MIND, as there is no cure that can delay, prevent, undo, or cure Parkinson’s disease. I added that I am.

“For me, as a researcher, when I saw the data, I thought,’I can’t eat healthy,'” she said. “It may be average, but once you see it, you can’t ignore it.”