The effect of low-saturated fat, heart-healthy diet on cognitive decline and the risk of Alzheimer’s dementia
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Reviewed by Dat Tien Nguyen, B.A, ScM.
Translated by Nhi Phuong Quynh Le, B.A |
Posted on September 13th, 2023
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Although there have been many therapies approved to treat Alzheimer’s disease, there has been little progress in investigating the optimal prevention method. Since the Western high-fat diet had been associated with increased risk of many chronic diseases, and the Mediterranean diet had been shown to be beneficial, a study was conducted to investigate the effect of dietary change on the risk of Alzheimer’s.
The MIND diet being investigated was a hybrid of the Mediterranean and the “Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH)” diet. This diet has a high consumption of green-leafy vegetables, legumes, olive oil, and fish. MIND restricted the consumption of sugar and saturated fats. The study included 604 participants over the age of 65 years old who have a family history of Alzheimer’s. Half of these participants were randomly assigned to the MIND diet, and the other was assigned to the control diet; both have equal levels of caloric intake. After 3 years of surveillance, the researchers concluded that there were no significant differences in the risk of Alzheimer’s dementia between the MIND and control diet groups. This analysis was made based on MRI imaging to determine the volume of the hippocampus, white-matter hyperintensities, gray-matter volume, and white-matter volume. This longitudinal study was excellent in its structure and longevity; however, subsequent studies can measure other parameters such as beta-amyloid deposition, neuronal loss, and clinically quantification of cognitive function.
The MIND diet being investigated was a hybrid of the Mediterranean and the “Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH)” diet. This diet has a high consumption of green-leafy vegetables, legumes, olive oil, and fish. MIND restricted the consumption of sugar and saturated fats. The study included 604 participants over the age of 65 years old who have a family history of Alzheimer’s. Half of these participants were randomly assigned to the MIND diet, and the other was assigned to the control diet; both have equal levels of caloric intake. After 3 years of surveillance, the researchers concluded that there were no significant differences in the risk of Alzheimer’s dementia between the MIND and control diet groups. This analysis was made based on MRI imaging to determine the volume of the hippocampus, white-matter hyperintensities, gray-matter volume, and white-matter volume. This longitudinal study was excellent in its structure and longevity; however, subsequent studies can measure other parameters such as beta-amyloid deposition, neuronal loss, and clinically quantification of cognitive function.