MIND diet

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The Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay diet, or more commonly, the MIND diet, combines portions of the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet and the Mediterranean diet. [1] Both the DASH diet and the Mediterranean diet have been shown to improve cognition; however, neither were developed to slow neurodegeneration (e.g. Alzheimer's disease). [2] Therefore, a team at Rush University Medical Center, headed by Martha Clare Morris (a nutritional epidemiologist), worked to create the MIND diet. [3] Like the DASH and Mediterranean diets, the MIND diet emphasizes the intake of fresh fruit, vegetables, and legumes. [4] The MIND diet also includes recommendations for specific foods, like leafy greens and berries, that have been scientifically shown to slow cognitive decline. [3] Recent research has shown that the MIND diet may be more effective at reducing cognitive decline than either the Mediterranean or DASH diets alone, though a cause and effect relationship has yet to be determined. [3] Additional testing has shown that the level of adherence to the MIND diet also impacts the diet's neuro-protective effects. [5]

Contents

Background and development

Alzheimer’s dementia affects ten percent of the United States population who are older than 65. This is equivalent to 5.3 million affected individuals. [6] The hallmark characteristic of Alzheimer’s dementia is cognitive decline. If the rate of cognitive decline could be slowed in the aging population, there could be significant public health and economic impacts. [7] Recently, lifestyle medicine has been investigated as a potential means of reducing cognitive decline and other chronic diseases. Lifestyle medicine can involve alterations to one's diet, physical activity, and coping mechanisms. [8] Various diets, including the Mediterranean and DASH, have been investigated with relation to cognitive decline. Although neither the Mediterranean nor DASH diets were specifically developed to slow cognitive decline, both were somewhat neuro-protective. [3] In an effort to develop a diet specifically designed for cognitive protection, a group at Chicago’s Rush University Medical Center took components of the Mediterranean and DASH diets and combined them with recommendations from diet-dementia field. [2] Specifically, the inclusion of leafy greens and berries have been shown in separate human and rodent studies to protect against cognitive decline. [2] The MIND diet was validated through several studies using the Rush Memory and Aging Project; however, the cause and effect relationship between the diet and cognitive decline could not be determined. [3]

Research

The MIND diet is fairly new; the first article describing the diet and its efficacy was published in 2015. [3] This initial study sampled from the Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center Memory and Aging Project and followed 960 participants over the age of 50 across a time span of five years. [3] Changes in cognitive ability were correlated with specific nutritional components of the MIND diet. [3] The inclusion of higher numbers of MIND diet recommended foods in one’s daily diet was associated with less cognitive decline than when these foods were not included or were included in lesser quantities. [3] A follow-up study compared the effectiveness of the MIND diet to that of the Mediterranean and DASH diets within the same study population. [5] The study showed that all the diets can be protective against the development of Alzheimer’s disease when they are strictly followed. [5] The MIND diet also was effective at moderate adherence levels. [5] The study also found that the MIND diet adherence was more accurate at predicting cognitive decline than either Mediterranean or DASH diet adherence. [5] Although the MIND diet shows promising results, the findings must be replicated in other population based studies to confirm these conclusions. A drawback of the two studies discussed here is that cause and effect relationships could not be determined. A controlled, diet intervention study would be necessary to determine cause and effect. [2]

When designing diets for the prevention of certain diseases, it is necessary to know the impacts of individual nutrients on the human body. The MIND diet could be improved by future research which investigates the impacts of individual nutrients or foods on neuronal physiology and anatomy. [2] It is also beneficial to use dietary measurements that are culturally appropriate to enable researchers, dietitians, and the general public to draw accurate conclusions from the data. [2]

Recommendations

The MIND diet recommends: [9] [10]

The diet discourages: [11] [10]

See also

Related Research Articles

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Dementia is a disorder which manifests as a set of related symptoms, which usually surfaces when the brain is damaged by injury or disease. The symptoms involve progressive impairments in memory, thinking, and behavior, which negatively affects a person's ability to function and carry out everyday activities. Aside from memory impairment and a disruption in thought patterns, the most common symptoms include emotional problems, difficulties with language, and decreased motivation. The symptoms may be described as occurring in a continuum over several stages. Dementia ultimately has a significant effect on the individual, caregivers, and on social relationships in general. A diagnosis of dementia requires the observation of a change from a person's usual mental functioning and a greater cognitive decline than what is caused by normal aging.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mediterranean diet</span> Diet inspired by the Mediterranean region

The Mediterranean diet is a diet inspired by the eating habits and traditional food typical of southern Spain, southern Italy, Crete and much of the rest of Greece discovered internationally in the early 1960s. This differentiates it from Mediterranean cuisine, which occurs naturally in Mediterranean countries and is inherent to them. While inspired by a specific time and place, the "Mediterranean diet" was later proven and refined based on the results of multiple scientific studies.

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Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a neurocognitive disorder which involves cognitive impairments beyond those expected based on an individual's age and education but which are not significant enough to interfere with instrumental activities of daily living. MCI may occur as a transitional stage between normal aging and dementia, especially Alzheimer's disease. It includes both memory and non-memory impairments. The cause of the disorder remains unclear, as well as both its prevention and treatment, with some 50 percent of people diagnosed with it going on to develop Alzheimer's disease within five years. The diagnosis can also serve as an early indicator for other types of dementia, although MCI may remain stable or even remit.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alzheimer's disease</span> Progressive neurodegenerative disease

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease that usually starts slowly and progressively worsens. It is the cause of 60–70% of cases of dementia. The most common early symptom is difficulty in remembering recent events. As the disease advances, symptoms can include problems with language, disorientation, mood swings, loss of motivation, self-neglect, and behavioral issues. As a person's condition declines, they often withdraw from family and society. Gradually, bodily functions are lost, ultimately leading to death. Although the speed of progression can vary, the typical life expectancy following diagnosis is three to nine years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Type 3 diabetes</span> Medical condition

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Martha Clare Morris was an American nutritional epidemiologist who studied the link between diet and Alzheimer's disease. She led a team of researchers at the Rush University Medical Center to develop the MIND diet.

References

  1. ↑ "MIND Diet: What To Know". U.S. News & World Report. January 6, 2016. Retrieved January 6, 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Morris MC (2016). "Nutrition and risk of dementia: overview and methodological issues". Ann. N. Y. Acad. Sci. 1367 (1): 31–7. Bibcode:2016NYASA1367...31M. doi:10.1111/nyas.13047. PMC   4849169 . PMID   27116239.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Morris, Martha Clare; Tangney, Christy C.; Wang, Yamin; Sacks, Frank M.; Barnes, Lisa L.; Bennett, David A.; Aggarwal, Neelum T. (2015). "MIND diet slows cognitive decline with aging". Alzheimer's & Dementia. 11 (9): 1015–1022. doi:10.1016/j.jalz.2015.04.011. PMC   4581900 . PMID   26086182.
  4. ↑ Marcason, Wendy (2015). "What Are the Components to the MIND Diet?". Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. 115 (10): 1744. doi:10.1016/j.jand.2015.08.002. PMID   26407649.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Morris, Martha Clare; Tangney, Christy C.; Wang, Yamin; Sacks, Frank M.; Bennett, David A.; Aggarwal, Neelum T. (2015). "MIND diet associated with reduced incidence of Alzheimer's disease". Alzheimer's & Dementia. 11 (9): 1007–1014. doi:10.1016/j.jalz.2014.11.009. PMC   4532650 . PMID   25681666.
  6. ↑ "2017 Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures" (PDF). Alzheimer's Association.
  7. ↑ "Changing the Trajectory of Alzheimer's Disease: How a Treatment by 2025 Saves Lives and Dollars" (PDF). Alzheimer's Association.
  8. ↑ Egger, Garry; Binns, Andrew; Rossner, Stephan (2009). "The emergence of "lifestyle medicine" as a structured approach for management of chronic disease" (PDF). Medical Journal of Australia. 190 (3): 143–45. doi:10.5694/j.1326-5377.2009.tb02317.x. PMID   19203313. S2CID   14916564.
  9. ↑ Pagán, Camille Noe (22 April 2015). "The MIND Diet May Help Prevent Alzheimer's". WebMD .
  10. 1 2 Morris, M. C.; Tangney, C. C.; Wang, Y.; Sacks, F. M.; Barnes, L. L.; Bennett, D. A.; Aggarwal, N. T. (2015). "Table 1 MIND diet component servings and scoring". Alzheimer's & Dementia. 11 (9): 1015–1022. doi:10.1016/j.jalz.2015.04.011. PMC   4581900 . PMID   26086182.
  11. ↑ Di Fiore, Nancy (2015-03-16). "Diet May Help Prevent Alzheimer's - Featured News". rush.edu. Rush University Medical Center. Archived from the original on 2017-09-21. Retrieved 2017-09-26.

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