Marcason W., What are the Components of the MIND diet? Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. 2015; 115(10): 1744
exercise? Movement Disorders. 2015; 31(3): 299
This is the first randomised control trial aimed at assessing the role of multi-domains in the reduction of cognitive decline. 1,260 participants aged 60 to 77 were involved in the two-year study. The multidomain assessed included management of metabolic and vascular risk factors, social abilities, cognitive training and an exercise program. At the end of the study, it was found that cognitive function of the intervention group was more by 25% particularly the cognitive domains associated with processing speed and functioning. There was also an improvement of physical activity levels, dietary habits, and BMI in the intervention group. With diet being one of the multi-domains, the research adds to the evidence that MIND diet slows down the progression of dementia and other neurodegenerative diseases.
Morris M., Tangney C., Wang Y., et al. MIND Diet Slows Cognitive Decline With
Aging. Alzheimer's and Dementia. 2015; 11(9): 1015-1022.
This study was focused on trying to analyse the relationship between MIND diet score to a reduction in Memory. It went ahead to compare estimated influences of the DASH and Mediterranean diets. The analytic sample age was on average 81.4 years. The results obtained showed that participants who had the highest MIND diet scores more favourable at preserving cognitive abilities, physical abilities, higher education, and a decrease in the incidences of cardiovascular diseases. The impact of the MIND diet on the participant’s cognitive domains was found to be increasing by 30-78%. The MIND diet had stronger linkage to cognitive decline as compared to either of Mediterranean of DASH diet score. The standard b coefficients of the approximated diet effects were 2.60 for DASH, 2.46 for the Med Diet and 4.39 for MIND (Morris et al.). The correlation between cognitive change and MIND score was significantly higher for MIND compared with the other diets DASH (P 5.03) and Med Diet (P 5.02) scores (Morris et al.). This provides further evidence to support the hypotheses making this journal very resourceful for the research.
Morris M., Tangney C., Wang Y., et al. MIND diet associated with reduced incidence
of Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimer's and Dementia. 2015; 11(9): 1007-1014.
This study analysed the association between the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease to Mediterranean, DASH, and MIND diets. The high scores obtained during this prospective study provides substantial evidence that greater adherence to the general MIND dietary pattern proves to be protective against Alzheimer’s disease. There was a 53% reduction in the incidence of Alzheimer’s for those with high MIND scores. A 35% reduction was realized for those who had middle MIND scores. This study which included ten years of follow-up proves that effective dietary recommendations have a big impact on the progressive burden of dementia, particularly in the aging population. Hence, making this article very resourceful to the research as it provides more evidence on the role of the MIND diet in slowing the progression of dementia.
Anchisi L, Dessì S, Pani A, Mandas A. Cholesterol homeostasis: a key to prevent or
slow down neurodegeneration. Frontiers in Physiology. 2012; 3:486.
This study focuses on mechanisms through which cholesterol is restored in neural cells thus improving clinically significant features present I different neurodegenerative diseases. The study was able to establish a close linkage between cholesterol esterification and neurodegeneration. Also it was established that low and not high neuronal cholesterol levels found on the membrane contributed to neurodegeneration. This source was not quite resourceful in providing evidence to support the hypothesis as it did not touch on dietary interventions. However, evidence that induced or pre-existing modifications creating a lipid environment that favoured the initiation or progression of neurodegeneration goes to support the need for diets like MIND that are low in cholesterol thus lowering the risk of neurodegeneration.
Conclusion
The sources that have been reviewed have provided substantial evidence to support the hypothesis that MIND diet slows down the progression of dementia and other neurodegenerative diseases particularly in the elderly. The first four sources provided direct evidence as they directly linked MIND diet to neurodegeneration. However, the last source focused more on the scientific processes involved in cholesterol homeostasis that lead to neurodegeneration hence providing indirect evidence. There is still need for further research concerning the effect of a MIND diet on cognitive changes in other populations.
Work Cited
Anchisi L, Dessì S, Pani A, Mandas A. Cholesterol homeostasis: a key to prevent or
slow down neurodegeneration. Frontiers in Physiology. 2012; 3:486.
Marcason W., What are the Components of the MIND diet? Journal of the Academy of
Nutrition and Dietetics. 2015; 115(10): 1744
Mollenhauer B., Can we prevent and slow down neurodegeneration with diet and
exercise? Movement Disorders. 2015; 31(3): 299
Morris M., Tangney C., Wang Y., et al. MIND diet associated with reduced incidence
of Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimer's and Dementia. 2015; 11(9): 1007-1014.
Morris M., Tangney C., Wang Y., et al. MIND Diet Slows Cognitive Decline With
Aging. Alzheimer's and Dementia. 2015; 11(9): 1015-1022.
