MIND and Mediterranean Diets Associated With Fewer Alzheimer’s Plaques and Tangles

Summary: People who follow diets rich in greens, olive oil, nuts and fish, such as the MIND or Mediterranean diet, have fewer amyloid plaques and Tau tangles in their brains than those who follow a more conventional diet.

Source: AAN

People who eat diets rich in green leafy vegetables, as well as other vegetables, fruits, whole grains, olive oil, beans, nuts and fish, may have less amyloid plaques and tau in their brains – signs of Alzheimer’s disease – than people who do not consume such diets, according to a study published in the online issue of Neurology, March 8, 2023.

The study examined how closely people followed the MIND and Mediterranean diets. While similar, the Mediterranean diet recommends vegetables, fruit and three or more servings of fish per week, while the MIND diet prioritizes green leafy vegetables such as spinach, kale and collard greens along with other vegetables.

The MIND diet also prioritizes berries over other fruits and recommends one or more servings of fish per week. Both the MIND diet and the Mediterranean diet recommend small amounts of wine.

While this study shows an association of regular consumption of these diets with fewer plaques and complications of Alzheimer’s disease, it does not establish a cause-and-effect relationship.

“These results are exciting – improvement in people’s diets in just one area – such as eating more than six servings of green leafy vegetables a week, or not eating fried foods – was associated with fewer amyloid plaques in the brain , similar to those of about four years. younger,” said study author Puja Agarwal, PhD, of RUSH University in Chicago. “While our research does not prove that a healthy diet resulted in fewer brain deposits of amyloid plaques, also known as an indicator of Alzheimer’s disease, we do know that there is a link, and following MIND and the Mediterranean diets can be a way people can improve their brain health and protect cognition as they age.”

The study involved 581 people with an average age of 84 at the time of the diet assessment who agreed to donate their brains after death to advance dementia research. Participants completed annual questionnaires asking how much food they ate in different categories.

Participants died an average of seven years after the study began. Shortly before death, 39% of participants had been diagnosed with dementia. When examined postmortem, 66% met criteria for Alzheimer’s disease.

At autopsy, the researchers examined the participants’ brains to quantify amyloid plaques and tau tangles. Both are found in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease, but can also be found in the brains of older people with normal cognition. The researchers then looked at the food questionnaires that were collected during the follow-up and ranked the quality of each person’s diet.

There were 11 food categories for the Mediterranean diet. Participants were given a score from zero to 55, with higher scores if they adhered to the diet in the following categories: whole grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes, olive oil, fish and potatoes. They were given lower scores if they ate red meat, poultry and full-fat dairy products.

There were 15 categories for the MIND diet. Participants were given a score from zero to 15, with one point each for 10 brain-healthy food groups, including green leafy vegetables, other vegetables, nuts, berries, beans, whole grains, fish, poultry, olive oil and summer. They lost one point if they ate more food than recommended in five unhealthy food groups, including red meat, butter and margarine, cheese, pastries and sweets, and fried and fast food.

The researchers then divided the participants into three groups for each diet and compared those in the highest groups with those in the lowest groups. For the Mediterranean diet, people in the highest group had an average score of 35 while those in the lowest group had an average score of 26. For the MIND diet, the highest group had an average score of 9 while the lowest group had an average score of 6.

While this study shows an association of regular consumption of these diets with fewer plaques and complications of Alzheimer’s disease, it does not establish a cause-and-effect relationship. The image is in the public domain

After adjusting for age at death, sex, education, total caloric intake, and whether people had a gene associated with a greater risk of Alzheimer’s disease, the researchers found that people who scored highest for adherence to the Mediterranean diet had an average amount plaque and tangled in their brains. similar to being 18 years younger than the people who scored the lowest. The researchers also found that people who scored highest on adherence to the MIND diet had average amounts of plaque and plaque similar to being 12 years younger than those who scored lowest.

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A higher MIND dietary score corresponded to typical plaque amounts in participants who were 4.25 years younger in age.

When looking at the components of a single diet, the researchers found that people who ate the most green leafy vegetables, or seven or more servings per week, had amounts of plaque in their brains that corresponded to being almost 19 years older. younger than people who ate less, by one. or fewer servings per week.

“Our finding that eating more green leafy vegetables is itself associated with fewer signs of Alzheimer’s disease in the brain is intriguing enough for people to consider adding more of these vegetables to their diet,” Agarwal said. “Future studies are needed to further establish our findings.”

A limitation of the study was that the participants were predominantly white, non-Hispanic, and older, so the results may not be generalizable to other populations.

Funding: The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health.

About this diet and Alzheimer’s disease research news

Author: Natalie Conrad
Source: AAN
Contact: Natalie Conrad – AAN
Image: Image is in the public domain

Original research: The findings will appear in Neurology