Diets rich in green leafy vegetables, fruits, whole grains, olive oil, beans, nuts and fish keep the brain many years younger by reducing the formation of
typical signs of Alzheimer’s, such as amyloid-beta peptide plaques and tau tangles.
This was revealed by a study published in the journal Neurology, according to which people who habitually consume this kind of food reduce the risk of contracting neurodegenerative disease more and their brains are at least 4 years younger (up to a maximum of 19) compared to peers with unhealthy diets.
The study examined the effects of two similar diets, MIND and Mediterranean: the latter recommends the consumption of vegetables, fruit and three or more portions of fish per week, while the MIND favors green leafy vegetables such as spinach, cabbage and forest compared to other types of fruit.
Well, the results of the study say that “just consuming more than six servings of green leafy vegetables a week or avoiding fried foods is associated with fewer plaques in the brain, which “rejuvenate” by about four years,” explained Puja Agarwal of Rush University in Chicago.
The study on hundreds of participants
The analysis involved 581 people (average age 84) who agreed to donate their brains upon death and completed food questionnaires annually.
The researchers then examined the participants’ brains to determine the amount of amyloid plaques and tau tangles – typical of people with Alzheimer’s – and food questionnaires, ranking the quality of each diet with a score from 0 to 55: the higher the score how much better the diet was.
It was observed that for the same age, gender, education, and other factors, people with the highest scores for adherence to the Mediterranean diet had an average amount of plaques and tangles in the brain similar to that of individuals 18 years older. younger than those with lower scores.
The researchers then found that people who faithfully followed the MIND diet had similar average amounts of plaques and tangles as individuals 12 years younger than those with the lowest score.
Finally, those who ate the highest amounts of green leafy vegetables, or seven or more servings per week, had corresponding amounts of plaque in their brains.
even almost 19 years younger than those who ate the least (maximum one portion per week).