A new study suggests people who eat lots of green leafy vegetables may have fewer signs of Alzheimer’s disease than those who don't. Eating fruit, whole grains, olive oil, beans, nuts and fish were also "associated" with having lower levels of proteins linked to the disease in the brain, the researchers say.
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia in the UK and is thought to be caused by the abnormal build-up of proteins in and around brain cells, according to the NHS. Dementia is a group of symptoms associated with an ongoing decline of brain functioning, which can affect memory, thinking skills and other mental abilities.
Researchers said the study, published in Neurology, showed an association of regularly following the MIND and Mediterranean diets with fewer Alzheimer’s plaques and tangles, which are a build-up of proteins that clump together. However, the researchers cautioned that the study does not establish a cause and effect relationship.
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The Mediterranean diet recommends vegetables, fruit and three or more servings of fish per week. The MIND diet prioritises green leafy vegetables like spinach, kale and collard greens along with other vegetables.
MIND also prioritises berries over other fruit and recommends one or more servings of fish per week, while both diets recommend small amounts of wine. Study author Puja Agarwal of RUSH University in Chicago said the results are "exciting" but added: “future studies are needed to establish our findings further."
She said: "Improvement in people’s diets in just one area – such as eating more than six servings of green leafy vegetables per week, or not eating fried foods – was associated with fewer amyloid plaques in the brain similar to being about four years younger. Our finding that eating more green leafy vegetables is in 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."
What the study found
The study involved 581 people who agreed to donate their brains at death to advance research on dementia and completed annual questionnaires asking how much of various foods they ate. They had an average age of 84 at the time of diet assessment and died an average of seven years after the start of the study.
Their brains were examined post-mortem to determine the amounts of amyloid plaques and tau tangles, which are both found in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease but may also be found in the brains of older people with normal cognition. Researchers then ranked the quality of diet for each person by looking back at the food questionnaires which were collected.
The researchers found that people who scored highest for the Mediterranean diet had average plaque and tangle amounts in their brains similar to being 18 years younger than those who scored lowest. People who scored highest for following the MIND diet had average plaque and tangle amounts similar to being 12 years younger than those who scored lowest.
The study suggests a MIND diet score one point higher corresponded to typical plaque amounts of participants who were 4.25 years younger. People who had eaten the most green leafy vegetables - or seven or more servings per week - had plaque amounts in their brains corresponding to being almost 19 years younger than people who ate the fewest (one serving at most per week).
Ways to reduce Alzheimer's risk
According to the NHS, the exact cause of Alzheimer's is not fully understood, but a number of factors are thought to increase your risk. These include: increasing age; a family history of the condition; lifestyle factors and conditions associated with cardiovascular disease; and untreated depression - though depression can also be a symptoms of Alzheimer's.
There is no known way to prevent Alzheimer's. However, you could potentially reduce your risk or delay the onset of dementia by:
- stopping smoking
- cutting down on alcohol
- eating a healthy, balanced diet
- maintaining a healthy weight
- staying physically fit and mentally active
These measures have other health benefits too, like lowering your risk of cardiovascular disease and improving your overall mental health.
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