The MDD diet prevents dementia and makes the brain more than 7 years younger

Using diet to delay dementia, including the Mediterranean diet and the DASH diet, is not strong enough. The latest research in the United States found that adopting the "MIN D diet" can help delay brain aging by about 7.5 years. Nutritionists emphasize that the main function of this diet is to delay nerve degeneration, and green leafy vegetables, nuts, and berries are important nutritional elements and none of them can be missing.

Nutritionist Lu Xinjin (pictured) stressed that a healthy diet can help slow down brain aging. (Photo provided by National Cheng Kung University Hospital)

Lu Xinjin, a nutritionist at the National Cheng Kung University Hospital, pointed out that according to statistics from the World Health Organization, the number of people with dementia is increasing worldwide. The Taiwan Alzheimer's Association estimates based on data from the Ministry of Health and Welfare that by the end of 2014, people aged 65 and above in Taiwan accounted for 12% of the total population, of which 18.7% suffered from mild cognitive impairment and 8.09% suffered from dementia. The proportion of dementia tends to increase with age.

The MED diet makes cognitive function younger

In 2015, the Rush University Medical Center in the United States published a new dietary pattern, the Mediterranean-DASH diet intervention for neurodegenerative Delay (MIND), which has a good effect on the prevention of dementia.

The "Med Diet" is a dietary pattern developed based on the "Dietary Approach to Systolic Hypertension (DASH)" and the "Mediterranean diet". After 5 years of tracking, it was found that the elderly whose dietary pattern was more inclined towards the DASH diet had a slower rate of cognitive function decline. The group with higher DASH diet scores had cognitive function 7.5 years younger than the group with lower scores at the same age.

In addition, following all three diet types can reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease and help alleviate cognitive decline, but those with high scores on the MDD diet are significantly better than the other two diets.

The Med Diet places special emphasis on the intake of green leafy vegetables and recommends consuming more than 6 servings per week.

Nutritionist Lu Xinjin emphasized that the difference between the MyD diet and the other two diets is that it places special emphasis on the intake of green leafy vegetables, and recommends consuming more than 6 servings per week. This is because green leafy vegetables are rich in folic acid, vitamin E, carotenoids, flavonoids, etc. These substances can be antioxidant, inhibit inflammatory responses, and remove neurotoxins to reduce the occurrence of dementia and cognitive decline.

Berries may slow cognitive decline

As for fruits, it is especially recommended to consume berries, such as cranberries, blueberries, mulberries, black currants, etc. These fruits are not only rich in anthocyanins, which are natural antioxidants, but epidemiological studies have found that berries can slow down the decline of cognitive function. Animal studies even suggest that consuming berries can help improve memory and learning ability.

Fish and seafood are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which can reduce the deposition of amyloid-beta peptide in the brain, increase the density of neurotransmitters and strengthen the dendritic spine of neurons, thereby slowing down the deterioration of cognitive function.

Nuts are rich in vitamin E, which can slow down the decline of cognitive function.

More nuts and less red meat and processed foods

Similar to the DASH diet and the Mediterranean diet, the MED diet also recommends the intake of nuts because they are rich in vitamin E. It also emphasizes reducing the consumption of red meat and its products, fast food, and refined desserts because the large amount of saturated fatty acids and trans fatty acids in these foods can easily damage the blood-brain barrier, increase the accumulation of amyloid plaques, and accelerate the deterioration of cognitive function.

The local production of berries in Taiwan is relatively small, and it is difficult to obtain fresh sources in the general diet. Berries are also sour, and are often added with a lot of refined sugar to make jams or desserts, which invisibly increases calorie intake. However, you can try to combine berries with sweeter fruits to make juice, add low-fat dairy products, make salad dressings, or eat them with a moderate amount of nuts. These are all good ways to increase berry intake in your daily diet.