09 mars 2023
American researchers have just shown that by adopting a diet rich in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, olive oil, legumes, oilseeds and fish, it would be possible to limit the accumulation of amyloid plaques and the entanglement of the protein. Tau in the brain. Which are markers of Alzheimer’s disease.
You know the Mediterranean diet. But do you know the Mind diet? This diet was specifically designed by American researchers for better brain health! Although similar, the Mediterranean diet instead recommends vegetables, fruits and three or more servings of fish per week, while the Mind diet prioritizes green leafy vegetables like spinach as well as berries. Well, according to researchers at Rush University in Chicago, adopting these ways of eating might give your brain more than a decade of healthy life.
Their study looked at 581 people with an average age of 84 who agreed to donate their brains when they died. to advance dementia research “, explain the authors. Participants died an average of seven years following the start of the study. At post-mortem examination, 66% met the criteria for Alzheimer’s disease. Clearly, the scientists examined their brains to detect the amounts of amyloid plaques (aggregates that form around neurons in the event of neurodegenerative disease) and tangles caused by the disaggregation of Tau proteins.
12 to 18 years old won
During their follow-up, the participants were scored on their consumption of foods considered healthy in each of the two diets. For the Mediterranean diet, 11 food categories were selected. Participants were given a score of zero to 55, with higher scores if they adhered to the diet. On the contrary, consuming bad foods like red meat made them lose points.
Ditto for the Mind diet, 15 food categories were chosen. And just like for the Mediterranean diet, participants lost points by consuming foods considered unhealthy (sweets, fried foods, etc.). Thus, for each of the diets, the people with the highest score were those who ate the healthiest.
After taking into account many factors (age at the time of death, sex, education, etc.), the researchers discovered that the people who had followed the Mediterranean diet the most diligently had a brain that was 18 years younger than to those who had least respected him. Regarding the Mind diet, the brain seemed 12 years younger!
« Although our research does not prove that a healthy diet leads to less brain deposition of amyloid plaques, we now know that there is a relationship “, conclude the researchers. ” And following the Mind and Mediterranean diets might be a way for people to improve their brain health and protect cognition as they age. »