Alzheimer’s. Does eating these vegetables reduce the risk? New study answers

Heyand according to a new study, carried out in the United States, it is possible that in the brains of people who regularly eat foods such as green leafy vegetables, as well as fruits, whole grains, olive oil, fish, beans and dried fruits, there are fewer proteins associated with Alzheimer’s disease.

In fact, more specifically, the researchers analyzed the effect of the Mediterranean diet and the MIND diet (mind diet in Portuguese) on the development of the disease. The results were made available in the online edition of the scientific journal Neurology.

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In case you’re not familiar, the Mediterranean diet recommends vegetables, fruits, and three or more servings of fish each week, while the MIND diet gives some priority to green leafy vegetables like spinach, kale, and more. In addition, he gives more importance to red fruits, at the expense of other fruits, and suggests one or more portions of fish, weekly. Both recommend small amounts of wine.

To reach their conclusions, the researchers analyzed 581 people, with an average age of 84 at the time of the diet assessment, who agreed to donate their brains after death. In addition, each year, everyone filled out questionnaires about how often they ate these foods.

At autopsy, they examined each person’s brains to determine the amount of amyloid plaques and accumulations of the tau protein, both of which are found in people with the disease but also in older people whose cognitive function is normal, explain the researchers. a statement.

Taking into account factors such as age, sex, education, total calorie intake, and the presence of a gene linked to a higher risk of the disease, the scientists found that people who followed a Mediterranean diet had average amounts of protein. which is equivalent to a brain 18 years younger.

Among those following the MIND diet, average amounts of protein were also recorded, which in this case equates to a brain about 12 years younger. All results were compared to those of subjects who did not follow either of these diets.

Additionally, when analyzing specific foods, they found that eating seven or more servings of green leafy vegetables helped rejuvenate the brain by nearly 19 years.

“Our finding that eating more green leafy vegetables is associated with fewer signs of Alzheimer’s disease in the brain is interesting enough for people to consider adding more green leafy vegetables to their diet,” explains Puja Agarwal, who led the study.

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