Can the Mediterranean diet and exercise really reduce the risk of dementia?

Recently, scientists from the University of East Anglia launched a new study to observe whether the Mediterranean diet and exercise can improve the brain function of the population and reduce the risk of dementia.

The Mediterranean diet is rich in fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes, whole wheat cereals, fish and olive oil, and limited amounts of dairy products, red meat, and sweets. Red wine is a typical alcoholic beverage; this study was conducted in the UK The first study was launched to try to change people’s diet and exercise habits within 24 weeks.

Researchers tracked more than 60 participants recruited from Newcastle and Birmingham. Professor Anne-Marie Minihane said there are currently around 850,000 people with dementia in the UK and the number of patients will exceed 2 million by 2050; There are drugs that can help improve symptoms, such as Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia, but there are no treatments that can block or slow the spread of the disease through the brain.

This is why it is important to find preventive measures to restore the vitality of patients’ brains. These preventive measures include changing the patient’s diet or living habits. Researchers said that in the past 10 years, scientists have found that the Mediterranean diet and Regular exercise can improve the body’s cognitive ability and is associated with a decreased risk of dementia. However, researchers also need to conduct a large number of human studies to obtain more solid evidence.

Participants in this study must be 55-74 years of age and have not been diagnosed with dementia, but their memory has started to decline significantly, said Professor Minihane. “We are looking for those who are trying to change their diet. Or exercise level participants. In this study, our team participants performed MRI brain scans (cognitive tests) to collect blood samples of participants, record dietary data, and wear activity monitoring devices to participants. We will also conduct More in-depth research to elucidate the molecular mechanisms by which the Mediterranean diet pattern and exercise reduce the risk of dementia in the body.