This may be the one way you can reduce the build-up of sticky brain plaques which lead to Alzheimer’s dementia and make your brain younger by almost 19 years.

Experts share a scientifically proven method people can use to ‘improve their brain health and protect cognition as they age’

Alzheimer’s disease is a degenerative brain condition that gradually impairs memory and cognitive function, ultimately inhibiting basic daily activities. It is the most prevalent form of dementia and its prevalence is increasing in correlation with aging populations. However, individuals can reduce their susceptibility to Alzheimer’s later in life by adopting healthier lifestyles earlier.

Research suggests that individuals who incorporate green leafy vegetables, along with other vegetables, fruits, whole grains, olive oil, beans, nuts, and fish into their diets, may exhibit lower levels of amyloid plaques and tau tangles in their brains – indicators of Alzheimer’s disease – when compared to those who do not consume these foods. This study was published in the online edition of Neurology® today.

The study evaluated the adherence of individuals to the MIND and Mediterranean diets, which share similarities but differ in their emphasis on certain foods. The Mediterranean diet prioritizes vegetables, fruits, and fish intake (at least three servings per week), whereas the MIND diet places a greater emphasis on green leafy vegetables such as spinach, kale, and collard greens, as well as berries over other fruits. Both diets recommend moderate wine consumption and one or more servings of fish per week.

While this research indicates that regular consumption of these diets may be associated with reduced presence of Alzheimer’s disease plaques and tangles, it does not establish a causal relationship.

According to Puja Agarwal, PhD, one of the researchers from RUSH University in Chicago, the findings of the study are remarkable. Even minor dietary modifications, such as increasing green leafy vegetable intake to more than six servings per week or reducing fried food consumption, were linked to fewer amyloid plaques in the brain, which is equivalent to a four-year decrease in brain age. While the study does not provide conclusive evidence that a healthy diet leads to reduced brain amyloid plaques, which are an indicator of Alzheimer’s disease, the correlation is evident.

“Hence, adopting the MIND and Mediterranean diets may be a beneficial way to enhance brain health and maintain cognitive function as people grow older.”

581 participants with an average age of 84 at the time of diet evaluation volunteered to donate their brains upon death to promote dementia research. Participants completed yearly questionnaires in which they were asked how much they ate of different food items.

The people who took part in the study died an average of seven years after the study began. 39% of individuals had dementia at the time of their deaths. 66% of those who were evaluated after death had Alzheimer’s disease.

Researchers analyzed the brains of participants during autopsies to evaluate the levels of amyloid plaques and tau tangles. Both can be seen in older adults with normal cognition as well as in the brains of those who have Alzheimer’s disease. After that, researchers evaluated each person’s diet quality using the food questionnaires that were gathered throughout follow-up.

There were 11 different food groups for the Mediterranean diet. Participants were assigned a score ranging from 0 to 55, with greater values awarded for eating whole grain cereals, fruits, vegetables, legumes, olive oil, seafood, and potatoes. They got lower scores if they ate red meat, chicken, and dairy products with a lot of fat.

The MIND diet was divided into 15 sections. For each of the ten dietary categories—green leafy vegetables, other vegetables, nuts, berries, beans, whole grains, fish, chicken, olive oil, and wine—participants were assigned a score between zero and fifteen. If they consumed more than is advised of the five harmful food groups—red meat, butter and margarine, cheese, pastries and sweets, and fried and fast food—they lost a point.

After dividing individuals into three groups for each diet, researchers compared the results of those in the top and lowest categories. The top group scored an average of 35 for the Mediterranean diet, while the lowest group scored an average of 26. The top group on the MIND diet had an average rating of 9, while the lowest group received an average rating of 6.

After controlling for age at death, gender, education, total calorie intake, and whether people possessed a gene linked to an increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease, researchers discovered that people who adhered to the Mediterranean diet had average plaque and tangle amounts in their brains comparable to being 18 years younger than those who did not. High MIND diet adherents were also found to have brain plaque and tangle loads equivalent to those of someone 12 years younger, according to the study’s authors.

The study observed that each incremental increase of one point in the MIND diet score was associated with typical plaque levels equivalent to a decrease of 4.25 years in age among the participants.

Additionally, researchers discovered that individuals who consumed the highest quantity of green leafy vegetables, i.e., seven or more servings per week, exhibited amyloid plaque levels in their brains that were equivalent to individuals almost 19 years younger than those who consumed the least, i.e., one or fewer servings per week.

“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,” adds Agarwal. “Future studies are needed to establish our findings further.”

The majority of the participants in the research were white, non-Hispanic, and elderly, which prevented conclusions from being applied to other demographics.

The National Institutes of Health provided funding for the research.

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