Psychology Update — What Is the MIND Diet? And Can It Prevent Dementia?

Posted October 2nd, 2023 by David Berg & filed under Brain Structure and Function, Cognitive Psychology, Introduction To Psychology, Lifespan Development, Nervous System, Psychological Disorders and Therapy, Psychology Update, Stress and Health Psychology.

TITLE

What Is the MIND Diet? And Can It Prevent Dementia?

DESCRIPTION

“Experts have estimated that 40 percent of dementia cases worldwide might be prevented or delayed with certain modifiable factors, such as by prioritizing exercise and sleep and addressing health conditions like hearing loss or hypertension…But a growing body of evidence suggests that diet may play a role in dementia prevention, too, said Puja Agarwal, a nutritional epidemiologist at the Rush University Medical Center in Chicago.” What type of diet (nutritionally speaking) has been found to affect dementia? “Dr. Morris and her colleagues noted that in research studies, people who followed the DASH and Mediterranean diets — which prioritize fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins and healthy fats — tended to have better cognition than those who did not. They also observed that specific foods such as leafy greens, berries, nuts and whole grains were associated with better brain health.” The research studies are discussed and limitations have been found in trying to understand the results as relates to cognitive functioning. It is worth reading the article in conjunction with understanding the brain and environmental factors (nutrition, exercise, exposures, stress) and how these relate to long term health. (underlined terms are active links)

SOURCE

New York Times, August 31, 2023, by Alice Callahan

LINK TO RESOURCE

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/31/well/eat/mind-diet-dementia.html?unlocked_article_code=ZpoA72fQx0OMgrO7c2b3LMJcXFaRoyjH_P3ORIyn_-3zxWZLQlERfUqoT6y10Hhck6MIQGYL0wOtD8PzwzQ02_mXumW2BPRBUQWtIlN1GGTaQWsicjTQ_hbiRF41psJeXdKWWUD_5U0L0J0aiwY_MCjD1pmrutvIQEMO8sX4onBQdo2T6C327LIdTJG3oFwc-WeUb69iTbXudpKvJPg87614elRw1MdcqtBq3h38pfJK_IRXAw2DE2tVdKQV4I9pTZDlhgatzeqWv4hERqqnH0Gv_lT_rHB1gpHgT-tiaDY-VlQT4z7bCm9FRS4dGJO_Q0kqeLv1UPchm5JJpg&smid=url-share

(Tiny URL) https://tinyurl.com/3uacnaey

CLASS DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

•What is the MIND Diet and it’s benefits? Aside from what are considered the healthy ingredients, what are the recommendations for the elimination of some foods that might affect the brain negatively in the long run? What are those foods?

•The article points out the there have been problems in the design of the research that has attempted to look at the MIND diet’s benefits. What have these problems been?

•If you were providing a lecture to a group of adults, what would you discuss about the benefits of these diets on the long term effects on the brain? What other factors would you discuss as added long term factors on brain health?