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Women who eat a healthy diet in midlife may have fewer signs of cognitive decline decades later.
A new study suggests that the Dietary Approaches to Stop High Blood Pressure, or DASH, diets may be effective in protecting cognitive health as well as heart health.
The DASH diet emphasizes whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins and recommends reducing intake of saturated fat and sodium.
A diet designed to lower blood pressure in midlife could help women avoid memory loss later in life, a new study suggests.
This claim comes from a new study published in the journal Alzheimer's and Dementia that shows how the Diet to Stop Hypertension (DASH) can improve cognitive function in women as they age.
The findings are particularly important because more than two-thirds of people diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, the most common form of dementia, are women.
“Subjective complaints about daily cognitive functioning are early indicators of more serious neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's,” he said. “After more than 30 years of follow-up, we found that the more the DASH diet was followed in midlife, the less likely women were to develop cognitive problems later in life.”
What you need to know about the DASH diet, how it can prevent cognitive decline in women, and how to best follow the diet for health benefits that go beyond common sense.
Effects of the DASH diet on cognitive health
For the new study, researchers at NYU's Grossman School of Medicine tracked the eating habits of more than 5,000 women enrolled in the NYU Women's Health Study over several decades.
Between 1985 and 1991, the study start date, these women, whose average age is 46, completed health questionnaires from those years through 2018-2020. Those whose diets were most similar to the DASH diet, which includes plenty of fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and low-fat dairy products, had a 17% lower risk of cognitive impairment at age 79 in 2018-2020.
According to experts, this result is impressive, but not necessarily surprising.
“These findings reinforce the advice we give our patients: improve cardiovascular health to improve brain health,” said Anna Nordvig, a neuroscientist in the Alzheimer's Disease and Memory Disorders Program at Weill Cornell Medical College, who was not affiliated with the study. . . Health said. “Vascular cognitive impairment is a common problem, and we already have more treatments to prevent its development, such as controlling blood pressure.”
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What is the DASH diet?
To understand the study results, it is first important to understand the concept of the DASH diet. This dietary pattern was developed by researchers at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute in the early 1990s to lower blood pressure.
“The DASH diet promotes foods rich in nutrients that play an important role in regulating blood pressure by enhancing blood vessel elasticity and facilitating muscle contraction,” Veronica Ross, RD, CDE, founder of The Heart Dietitian, told Health .
“The diet is also low in unhealthy saturated fats, which can raise blood cholesterol levels,” Ross adds. “In addition, the diet focuses on whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins, all of which can support heart health.”
Often compared to the Mediterranean diet, the DASH diet is centered around a certain number of servings per day of healthy, anti-inflammatory food groups. The 2,000-calorie-per-day DASH diet recommends:
4-5 servings of fruit
4-5 servings of vegetables
6 to 8 servings of cereal
6 servings or less of meat, poultry and fish
2-3 servings of low-fat or fat-free dairy products
2-3 servings of butter and oil
Since salt is known to cause high blood pressure, people following the DASH diet should consume no more than 1,500 milligrams of sodium per day. Sweets, full-fat dairy products, fatty meats and sugary drinks are also minimized.
Since its inception in the 1990s, research has shown that the DASH diet lives up to its name.
A 2018 study in JAMA found that 20 years after its inception, several trials have confirmed that the DASH diet consistently and significantly lowers blood pressure in different populations. A large systematic review also found that the diet reduced markers of inflammation in the blood, a known factor in the development of heart disease.
Why does the DASH diet help prevent memory loss?
Researchers conducting the Alzheimer's and Dementia Study found that women whose eating habits most closely resembled the DASH diet were less likely to develop cognitive impairment.
To make this decision, the researchers divided the group into quartiles. Women in the highest quartile of the DASH diet had the least subjective cognitive complaints. These complaints were defined as “self-reported impairment in daily cognitive functioning characterized by a greater frequency of memory loss.”
Experts say the DASH diet can boost blood vessel elasticity and reduce inflammation because it benefits the heart as well as the brain.
“The two most common causes of dementia are Alzheimer's disease and cerebrovascular disease (stroke),” says neuropsychologist Rafael Wald, of the Marcus Neuroscience Institute, part of Boca Raton Regional Hospital of South Florida Baptist. Health report. “The biggest controllable risk factor for these two types of dementia is any vascular risk, such as diabetes, hypothyroidism, malnutrition, or high blood pressure.”
"Focusing on a diet that lowers high blood pressure will reduce vascular risk and ultimately reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia," Wald added.
Why do vascular problems affect cognition so significantly? This is partly due to the way blood vessels deliver vital oxygen to the brain. “Regularly maintaining healthy blood pressure can promote good blood flow and adequate oxygen to the brain, which is essential for maintaining cognitive abilities,” Ross said.
Nordvig compared the DASH diet for brain health to using higher-quality fuel in a car. “People realize that expensive, high-octane gasoline keeps the engine clean. “It's a good parallel with food for the body and food for the brain,” he said. “A lifelong diet (and avoiding toxins), as well as exercise and cognitive stimulation, are essential for building and strengthening cells.” Our nervousness.
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The DASH diet may be especially beneficial for women
This new research on the relationship between diet and the brain is especially important because women are more likely than men to experience cognitive decline in later years.
However, science has not yet discovered why women are at greater risk. Wald points out that women tend to live longer than men, and since aging is a major cause of cognitive decline, this may be a major cause.
Regardless of the underlying mechanism, both men and women can benefit from the DASH diet for brain health. “Men have high blood pressure just as much as women, and I expect these men will benefit from the DASH diet as well,” Nordvig said.
Do you want to start the DASH diet for brain and heart health? Consult a registered dietitian or review National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute guidelines.
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