Diets rich in leafy greens and other vegetables, fruits, whole grains, olive oil, beans, nuts and fish keep the brain many years younger by reducing the formation of the typical signs of Alzheimer’s (amyloid-beta peptide plaques and tau tangles). In fact, people who follow this type of diet have fewer of these signs than people who do not follow such diets and their brains are at least 4 years younger up to a maximum of 19 compared to their peers with unhealthy diets. This was revealed by a study published in the journal Neurology.
The study looked at the effects of two similar diets, MIND and Mediterranean; the latter recommends the consumption of vegetables, fruit and three or more servings of fish a week, while MIND favors green leafy vegetables such as spinach, cabbage and berries over other types of fruit. It found that “just consuming more than six servings of leafy green vegetables a week, or avoiding fried foods, is associated with fewer plaques in the brain, similar to about four years of rejuvenation,” he explains. Puja Aggarwal of RUSH University in Chicago.
The study involved 581 people (average age 84) who agreed to donate their brains upon death and completed food questionnaires annually. The researchers examined the participants’ brains to determine the amount of amyloid plaques and tau tangles typical of people with Alzheimer’s and also the food questionnaires, ranking the quality of each diet with a score from zero to 55, the higher the better. the diet. It found 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 their brains similar to individuals 18 years of age or older. younger than those with lower scores.
The researchers also 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 nearly 19 less amounts of plaque in their brains than those who ate the least, one serving or less per week.