1 00:00:09,160 --> 00:00:13,319 Speaker 1: Hey, everybody, welcome to another edition of Wisdom Wednesdays. Now, 2 00:00:13,360 --> 00:00:17,200 Speaker 1: you've probably heard me talk about cognitive decline and Alzheimer's 3 00:00:17,239 --> 00:00:20,759 Speaker 1: quite a lot. And we know that dementia in general, 4 00:00:20,800 --> 00:00:25,080 Speaker 1: and particularly Alzheimer's disease is the fastest growing chronic disease 5 00:00:25,120 --> 00:00:27,520 Speaker 1: in terms of the number of people it kills, and 6 00:00:27,680 --> 00:00:33,280 Speaker 1: is now dementia overall is the second biggest killer in Australia, 7 00:00:33,360 --> 00:00:35,880 Speaker 1: where it wasn't even in the top ten about ten 8 00:00:35,960 --> 00:00:39,199 Speaker 1: years ago. And so there's a study that I just 9 00:00:39,479 --> 00:00:41,880 Speaker 1: read that's really interesting but has a little bit of 10 00:00:41,920 --> 00:00:45,000 Speaker 1: a twist at the end. So it was published in 11 00:00:45,040 --> 00:00:49,479 Speaker 1: the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, and the name of 12 00:00:49,479 --> 00:00:52,800 Speaker 1: the study is the effects of a high polyphenoal Mediterranean 13 00:00:52,920 --> 00:00:57,320 Speaker 1: diet combined with physical activity on age related brain atrophy. 14 00:00:57,640 --> 00:01:02,680 Speaker 1: The datary interventionion, randomized control trial, polyphenols on process study 15 00:01:03,120 --> 00:01:08,160 Speaker 1: and summarized as direct plus. So the Mediterranean diet has 16 00:01:08,360 --> 00:01:12,520 Speaker 1: long been celebrated for its health benefits, including heart health 17 00:01:12,600 --> 00:01:15,560 Speaker 1: and longevity, and in this study, the research is wanted 18 00:01:15,560 --> 00:01:20,640 Speaker 1: to test, particularly if the diet could slow down brian atrophy, 19 00:01:21,000 --> 00:01:24,320 Speaker 1: which is a major hallmark of aging and a precursor 20 00:01:24,680 --> 00:01:28,840 Speaker 1: to both cognitive client and cognitive decline SORRY and all 21 00:01:28,920 --> 00:01:32,400 Speaker 1: forms of dementia. So this direct study was an eighteen 22 00:01:32,480 --> 00:01:36,360 Speaker 1: month clinical trial that examined the effects of three dietary 23 00:01:36,440 --> 00:01:40,039 Speaker 1: patterns on Brian health. So the first one was a 24 00:01:40,080 --> 00:01:45,600 Speaker 1: healthy dietary guidelines group, so they followed standard advised balance 25 00:01:45,680 --> 00:01:49,680 Speaker 1: but without a specific emphasis on Mediterranean principles and just 26 00:01:49,760 --> 00:01:53,920 Speaker 1: told a healthy diet. Then the second group, they were 27 00:01:53,960 --> 00:01:59,000 Speaker 1: fed or told a traditional Mediterranean diet, so it was 28 00:01:59,080 --> 00:02:03,360 Speaker 1: colorie restricted and rich in vegetables, nuts, especially walnuts. 29 00:02:03,360 --> 00:02:05,160 Speaker 2: They had heaps of walnuts and. 30 00:02:05,040 --> 00:02:08,840 Speaker 1: Olive oil and took out red meat or some red 31 00:02:08,880 --> 00:02:11,720 Speaker 1: meat and replaced it with fish and poultry. And then 32 00:02:11,760 --> 00:02:14,880 Speaker 1: they had a third diet, which is the Green Mediterranean 33 00:02:14,919 --> 00:02:17,360 Speaker 1: diet as they called it. And this was a souped 34 00:02:17,440 --> 00:02:20,960 Speaker 1: up version of the med diet with an even higher 35 00:02:21,000 --> 00:02:26,680 Speaker 1: polyphenol content. So the participants consumed extra green tea and 36 00:02:26,760 --> 00:02:30,920 Speaker 1: a daily green shake made from Manci and that's a 37 00:02:31,000 --> 00:02:35,480 Speaker 1: protein pact aquatic plant that's rich in polyphenols, and it 38 00:02:35,560 --> 00:02:39,760 Speaker 1: also limited red and processed meats and limited calories. Now, 39 00:02:39,800 --> 00:02:43,880 Speaker 1: both MAD groups incorporated twenty eight grounds of walnuts daily 40 00:02:43,960 --> 00:02:47,160 Speaker 1: because we've seen in other studies that had notts. Some 41 00:02:47,200 --> 00:02:50,240 Speaker 1: particularly walnuts seemed to be good for Brian health and 42 00:02:50,280 --> 00:02:55,200 Speaker 1: that contributed to a significant polyphenol boost. But as I said, 43 00:02:55,200 --> 00:02:58,560 Speaker 1: the green mad group they had extra polyphenols through the 44 00:02:58,600 --> 00:03:02,079 Speaker 1: green tea and the mancai and making it a bit 45 00:03:02,120 --> 00:03:06,839 Speaker 1: of a polyphenial powerhouse. So brian atrophy or brain shrinkage 46 00:03:07,080 --> 00:03:10,200 Speaker 1: is a natural part of aging, but we know that 47 00:03:10,200 --> 00:03:15,120 Speaker 1: that too much briinatrophy is linked to dementia all different 48 00:03:15,120 --> 00:03:19,160 Speaker 1: forms of dimension including Alzheimer's disease. And so what they 49 00:03:19,160 --> 00:03:22,640 Speaker 1: did in this study was they were looking at key 50 00:03:22,800 --> 00:03:29,639 Speaker 1: markers of brianatrophy, including reductions in hippocampal occupancy score and 51 00:03:29,680 --> 00:03:32,680 Speaker 1: that's linked to your hippocampus is linked to memory and cognitions, 52 00:03:33,200 --> 00:03:37,600 Speaker 1: and also expansions in lateral ventricle volumes, So the ventricle 53 00:03:37,880 --> 00:03:39,440 Speaker 1: and they're kind of like think of them as like 54 00:03:39,640 --> 00:03:43,440 Speaker 1: holds in the brain, right, and so as that volume increases, 55 00:03:43,800 --> 00:03:47,720 Speaker 1: that is more brian atrophy. And these changes can indicate 56 00:03:47,840 --> 00:03:52,800 Speaker 1: early neurodegeneration, which underlines conditions like Alzheimer's disease and other 57 00:03:52,840 --> 00:03:56,560 Speaker 1: forms of dementia. And the direct plus study that we're 58 00:03:56,560 --> 00:03:59,160 Speaker 1: talking about here. It had older adults, so there were 59 00:03:59,200 --> 00:04:02,280 Speaker 1: aged fifty in a and the ones who followed the 60 00:04:02,360 --> 00:04:08,040 Speaker 1: Green Mad diet experienced slower declines in this hippocampal occupancy 61 00:04:08,080 --> 00:04:13,080 Speaker 1: score and reduced expansion of the ventricles, so the spaces 62 00:04:13,400 --> 00:04:17,719 Speaker 1: in the brain compared to those on the healthy diet 63 00:04:17,720 --> 00:04:19,520 Speaker 1: group and even those. 64 00:04:19,240 --> 00:04:21,080 Speaker 2: On the traditional Mediterranean diet. 65 00:04:21,480 --> 00:04:23,960 Speaker 1: And one of the standout findings in this was the 66 00:04:24,080 --> 00:04:29,880 Speaker 1: strong link between improved insulin sensitivity and reduced brian atrophy, 67 00:04:30,400 --> 00:04:34,440 Speaker 1: and that suggested that controlling blood sugar levels, which was 68 00:04:34,480 --> 00:04:36,960 Speaker 1: a hallmark of both the med diet and the Green 69 00:04:37,000 --> 00:04:41,440 Speaker 1: Mad diet, could be a key mechanism for protecting the brain. 70 00:04:42,160 --> 00:04:44,880 Speaker 1: And they talked a lot in the research paper about 71 00:04:44,880 --> 00:04:48,279 Speaker 1: the benefits of polyphenols, and as I said, they saw 72 00:04:48,800 --> 00:04:53,760 Speaker 1: a slightly better result in the ones that had the 73 00:04:53,839 --> 00:04:58,080 Speaker 1: Green Maare diet. They increased polyphenols because these are complant 74 00:04:58,120 --> 00:05:02,960 Speaker 1: compounds that have antioxidant anti inflammatory properties and they can 75 00:05:03,000 --> 00:05:07,640 Speaker 1: cross the blood brain barrier, therefore reducing neuroinflammation and promoting 76 00:05:07,680 --> 00:05:10,599 Speaker 1: the growth of new brain cells. And in the Green 77 00:05:10,640 --> 00:05:13,800 Speaker 1: Mead diet, as I said, the higher polyphenol intake from 78 00:05:13,839 --> 00:05:17,799 Speaker 1: the green tea and manichae was significantly associated with lower 79 00:05:17,880 --> 00:05:23,320 Speaker 1: rates of that reduction hypocampal volume, and the participants who 80 00:05:23,320 --> 00:05:28,120 Speaker 1: consumed those foods also showed elevated levels of certainly certain 81 00:05:28,200 --> 00:05:34,880 Speaker 1: polyphenols in urine such as tarisol and urythral a, and 82 00:05:34,960 --> 00:05:38,200 Speaker 1: they're both linked to better brain health. So this really 83 00:05:38,240 --> 00:05:43,440 Speaker 1: does underscore the benefits of a polyphenol heavy diet for 84 00:05:43,640 --> 00:05:48,160 Speaker 1: combating age related cognitive decline. So the kind of takeaways 85 00:05:48,200 --> 00:05:51,320 Speaker 1: that they talked about was that the green med diet 86 00:05:51,480 --> 00:05:53,240 Speaker 1: was the best of all and if you're looking to 87 00:05:53,279 --> 00:05:57,720 Speaker 1: maximize brain health, consider adding green tea, walnuts. 88 00:05:57,160 --> 00:05:58,680 Speaker 2: And manechid to your routine. 89 00:05:59,080 --> 00:06:02,160 Speaker 1: And they also talk about cutting the red meat and 90 00:06:02,200 --> 00:06:06,880 Speaker 1: particularly the process meat, as they've been associated with inflammation 91 00:06:06,960 --> 00:06:10,400 Speaker 1: and metabolic risks. Now, the other thing that was important 92 00:06:10,400 --> 00:06:13,440 Speaker 1: in this study was that all of the participants got 93 00:06:13,520 --> 00:06:16,800 Speaker 1: gym memberships and were encouraged to engage in regular physical 94 00:06:16,839 --> 00:06:21,760 Speaker 1: activity and reinforcing the diet works best with movement. And 95 00:06:21,800 --> 00:06:24,719 Speaker 1: then really it's about monitoring your big blood sugar because 96 00:06:24,760 --> 00:06:28,920 Speaker 1: the biggest link was about improved insulin sensitivity. 97 00:06:28,960 --> 00:06:32,160 Speaker 2: That was a key factor. Right now, I am. 98 00:06:33,200 --> 00:06:36,159 Speaker 1: The issue that I have picked up in reading this 99 00:06:36,320 --> 00:06:40,200 Speaker 1: paper was they didn't really talk about as a limitation 100 00:06:40,920 --> 00:06:45,320 Speaker 1: was that both of the Mediterranean diets were calorie restricted, 101 00:06:45,720 --> 00:06:51,159 Speaker 1: and the Healthy Eating Guidelines wasn't calorie restricted. And for me, 102 00:06:51,800 --> 00:06:57,719 Speaker 1: this just really reduces the strength of the findings because 103 00:06:58,320 --> 00:07:01,080 Speaker 1: they lost with it. The people in the med diet 104 00:07:01,120 --> 00:07:03,920 Speaker 1: and the greed med diet lost more weight because they 105 00:07:03,960 --> 00:07:07,800 Speaker 1: were both on a calorie restricted diet and compared to 106 00:07:07,839 --> 00:07:10,960 Speaker 1: the other guys, and they had improvements in insolence sensitivity. 107 00:07:11,160 --> 00:07:14,120 Speaker 1: And we know that when you lose weight, you improve 108 00:07:14,360 --> 00:07:18,560 Speaker 1: your insolent sensitivity, and these were groups of people who 109 00:07:18,600 --> 00:07:22,920 Speaker 1: were in their fifties who tended to be overweight to 110 00:07:23,000 --> 00:07:27,040 Speaker 1: start with. And so another way of positioning this would 111 00:07:27,080 --> 00:07:32,560 Speaker 1: be that a low calorie diet actually reduces brian atrophy. 112 00:07:33,320 --> 00:07:36,640 Speaker 1: And they could have said a low calorie diet reduces brianatrophy, 113 00:07:36,760 --> 00:07:39,840 Speaker 1: and if you add in extra polyphenols that would seem 114 00:07:39,880 --> 00:07:47,080 Speaker 1: to have another positive effect. But the Mediterranean component really 115 00:07:47,280 --> 00:07:50,760 Speaker 1: has to be questioned when they didn't have those diets 116 00:07:51,080 --> 00:07:53,720 Speaker 1: and calorie matched. I mean, one of the key things 117 00:07:53,720 --> 00:07:57,240 Speaker 1: when you're doing a datary intervention is you've got to 118 00:07:57,400 --> 00:08:00,960 Speaker 1: match the calories because if you don't and another group 119 00:08:01,040 --> 00:08:05,040 Speaker 1: loses weight, that changes a whole host of metabolic markers, 120 00:08:05,280 --> 00:08:08,760 Speaker 1: and we don't know how that interacted with the polyphenols. 121 00:08:08,760 --> 00:08:12,240 Speaker 1: So it's a little bit disappointing the design of it, 122 00:08:12,920 --> 00:08:17,760 Speaker 1: but it is for me. The takeouts here are really 123 00:08:17,920 --> 00:08:21,520 Speaker 1: keep your weight and check to physical activity, and then 124 00:08:21,800 --> 00:08:26,280 Speaker 1: have lots of polyphenols and flavonoids in your diet because 125 00:08:26,280 --> 00:08:27,880 Speaker 1: we know that they are. 126 00:08:27,960 --> 00:08:29,480 Speaker 2: Good for overhaul brain health. 127 00:08:29,520 --> 00:08:33,520 Speaker 1: But it is a little bit disappointing that they actually 128 00:08:33,760 --> 00:08:39,360 Speaker 1: didn't do a proper either. They didn't have a control 129 00:08:39,440 --> 00:08:43,600 Speaker 1: group who didn't have any diet or exercise, and that's 130 00:08:43,640 --> 00:08:45,640 Speaker 1: the first thing, and they recognize that as a limitation. 131 00:08:46,040 --> 00:08:48,640 Speaker 1: But having three different diets that you're comparing head to 132 00:08:48,720 --> 00:08:52,640 Speaker 1: head and two of them calorie restricted is just completely bonkers. 133 00:08:52,679 --> 00:08:55,920 Speaker 1: If I was to submit that to my PHITST supervisors, 134 00:08:55,960 --> 00:08:59,240 Speaker 1: they would throw it back at me. So take from 135 00:08:59,240 --> 00:09:02,600 Speaker 1: this what you will, but for me, the big takeouts 136 00:09:02,679 --> 00:09:07,000 Speaker 1: are manager a manager Inchlin and leads lots of polyphenols 137 00:09:07,080 --> 00:09:09,240 Speaker 1: and that will be good for brain health. That's it 138 00:09:09,280 --> 00:09:13,520 Speaker 1: for this week. Catch you next time, folks.