The Mediterranean diet wins by weight, but it misses memory in a diverse population

In the last study published in the journal Scientists from Chicago in the US have examined whether the adoption of the Mediterranean diet (Med Diet), with or without calories of weight loss, improves cognition and cardiometabolic health over a period of 14 months.

Background

A plate could olive oil-Parted vegetables protect the aging brain as effectively as expensive drugs? Alzheimer’s dementia affects about 6.9 million Americans over 65 years of age, and pharmacological options offer only a small relief.

Observation data combine both the MED diet pattern and a deliberate reduction of body weight with sharper cognition, but rigorous evidence is rare for adult African Americans who took the disproportionate burden of dementia and obesity in the United States (USA). Existing randomized studies are often short, they record mainly to white volunteers or do not distinguish between dietary effects and weight loss.

About the study

Construction studies in the field of diet and Poznań (Bridge) Randomized controlled study (RCT) was recorded by 185 adults living in a community aged 55-85 with obesity. The eligibility included a body mass index (BMI) 30-50 kg/m2, adhesion of a low diet diet, Montreal cognitive grades ≥19 and 91% identified as African American. Participants were randomized 2: 2: 1 to the MED diet with weight loss (Medwl), the Med (MEDA) diet itself or the control group. Stratified blocks of sustainable age, cognition and kohort; The assessors of the results were blinded.

Both intervention groups attended up to twenty -five weeks of classes for eight months, received olive oil and almonds with an outside collection and learned to cook using a Mediterranean diet. Medwl additionally implemented 5-7% weight loss through a 25% calorie deficit and 150 minutes a week from moderate to the vision of physical activity trained by certified trainers.

All participants have completed a six -month low contact maintenance phase. Understanding, attention and processing of information (AIP), executive function as well as learning, memory and recognition (LMR) were assessed using standard neuropsychological tests. Secondary results included the quality of diet, body weight, body composition evaluated with the help of x-rays double energy (DXA), assessment of the model of homeostasis of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), distance of C-reactive (HS-CRP), hemoglobin A1C (HBA1C) and six-minute. Researchers analyzed the change in the treatment intention from the starting value to 14 months with linear models of mixed effects, which adapted to the cohort, age and output cognitive performance.

It should be noted that for the third kohort, several physical activities and functional measures of the results, including a six-minute walking test, was influenced by the Covid-19 pandemic, because the collection of data for these results had to be conducted practically or was omitted due to restrictions.

Research results

Of the 185 randomized participants, 162 (88%) contributed to the results of the results after 14 months. The average starting age was 66 years, and the average BMI was 37.1 kg/m²; 86% of participants are women.

During the eight -month active phase, compliance with Med’s diet increased clearly in both intervention arms, and weight loss occurred primarily in the Medwl group; These trends were largely in the maintenance phase.

Within the full 14 months, the adhesion results increased by 3.2 points for Medwl and 3.4 points for the MED, compared to 0.2 points for control (p <0.05), which indicates a permanent change of diet.

Medwl participants recorded an average weight reduction by 3.8 kg, compared to the irrelevant 1.7 kg in Meda and 0.5 kg in controls; The difference between Medwl and both comparators was statistically significant.

The mass of visceral fat fell by 151 GW Medwl, which is a significant reduction compared to the control group, but not in other groups. In addition, BMI fell by 1.4 kg/m² only in Medwl.

Despite these favorable metabolic shifts, cognitive composites changed similarly in different groups.

AIP, executive function and LMR results, each improved improved in all arms, probably reflecting practical effects; However, no differences between groups appeared from the initial value up to 14 months or from 8 to 14 months.

Important differences between groups were also observed in secondary results, including the adhesion of Med’s diet, weight, BMI and fat mass.

In the case of HS-CRP, the only statistically significant difference between groups was a larger decrease in the Medwl group compared to Meda. Changes in other cardiometabolic results, such as HOMA-IR, HBA1C, fasting lipids, blood pressure and a distance of six-minute walks, were small and did not differ significantly between groups.

Sensitivity analysis, excluding measures collected practically during coronavirus disease of 2019, pandemic tests or omitting inaccessible to the third cohort gave similar results, confirming the accuracy of zero cognitive results.

In particular, compliance with Med’s diet was slightly weakened during maintenance, dropping 2.9 points at the MedWL and 1.4 points at Meda; However, it remained higher than the output value, and the recovery of weight in Medwl was limited to about 0.9 kg.

Physical activity, measured by the Godin questionnaire, increased during classes, but remained basically unchanged from the initial value at the end of maintenance in Medwl (change +0.2). The six -minute distance was walking in some groups, although for the third cohort this result was omitted due to the restrictions related to Pandemia.

The spasm and diastolic blood pressure remained unchanged. The values ​​of insulin and triglycerides showed wide trust compartments and a lack of group differences. The article does not inform about adverse events related to diet or exercises. These activity trends do not mediate in cognitive change.

Conclusions

To sum up, the eight -month Med lifestyle intervention, supplied with or without calories, weight loss, and then six months of maintaining low contact, did not increase cognition with older adult African Americans with obesity compared to a regular diet. Nevertheless, participants safely improved the quality of the diet, and the slimming arm achieved clinically significant reduction of body weight and visceral obesity.

These profits emphasize the practicality of culturally sensitive group programs in the field of cardiometabolic risk management, but suggest that a stronger or longer exposure may be required to postpone metabolic benefits into cognitive protection. Replication in larger, multi -ethnic cohorts and extended observation is justified. Further research is necessary to explain the long -term cognitive impact in various communities.