1 00:00:00,400 --> 00:00:03,800 Speaker 1: I don't know how many diets they are that have names, 2 00:00:03,920 --> 00:00:09,520 Speaker 1: perhaps several thousand. The two that we most talk about 3 00:00:09,520 --> 00:00:12,720 Speaker 1: in South Africa, I think are the Mediterranean diet and 4 00:00:13,320 --> 00:00:19,360 Speaker 1: termn Oaks's diet, which I no longer able to pronounce really, 5 00:00:20,120 --> 00:00:24,120 Speaker 1: but I read about a new diet called the mind diet, 6 00:00:24,200 --> 00:00:27,520 Speaker 1: which is supposedly drawing from the best of the Mediterranean 7 00:00:27,600 --> 00:00:33,000 Speaker 1: and the Dash diets and seems to be what you 8 00:00:33,159 --> 00:00:36,880 Speaker 1: need to eat if you want your brain to stay 9 00:00:36,960 --> 00:00:41,200 Speaker 1: healthy as you get into your latter years. Read about 10 00:00:41,240 --> 00:00:45,120 Speaker 1: this in an article my professor Ive Hogovost, who is 11 00:00:45,200 --> 00:00:49,040 Speaker 1: a professor of biological psychology at Lufberr University and who 12 00:00:49,120 --> 00:00:51,879 Speaker 1: joins us now via zoom. If a very good afternoon. 13 00:00:51,920 --> 00:00:52,760 Speaker 1: Thank you for your time. 14 00:00:54,080 --> 00:00:56,280 Speaker 2: Good afternoon, John, thanks for inviting me. 15 00:00:57,000 --> 00:00:59,640 Speaker 1: Oh, we have an echo on our line. I hope 16 00:00:59,640 --> 00:01:03,920 Speaker 1: that that disappears. Technical producer will see if he can 17 00:01:03,960 --> 00:01:08,319 Speaker 1: do what he can. So I get what, what's what's 18 00:01:08,360 --> 00:01:12,120 Speaker 1: the theory here? What is the theory about eating X 19 00:01:12,640 --> 00:01:15,080 Speaker 1: leads to brain health outcome? Y? 20 00:01:17,319 --> 00:01:22,880 Speaker 2: Well, we know that for the majority of dementia's cardiovascular 21 00:01:23,360 --> 00:01:28,760 Speaker 2: disease risk practice play role like hypertension, but also diabetes, 22 00:01:31,120 --> 00:01:37,120 Speaker 2: poor control of blood lipids like high cholesterol. Uh. And 23 00:01:37,400 --> 00:01:41,880 Speaker 2: also we think now that the cut brain access very 24 00:01:41,880 --> 00:01:50,720 Speaker 2: important reducing inflammation, and the Mind diet, Mediterranean diet dashtit. 25 00:01:50,800 --> 00:01:57,440 Speaker 2: They're all thought to perhaps play a role. But what 26 00:01:57,480 --> 00:02:00,240 Speaker 2: we see in the study that I mentioned and then 27 00:02:00,400 --> 00:02:04,920 Speaker 2: framing and heart study that we were viewed, this is 28 00:02:04,920 --> 00:02:09,760 Speaker 2: an observational study, and what is really important is that 29 00:02:09,840 --> 00:02:14,760 Speaker 2: the people who use that particular diet were also more 30 00:02:14,960 --> 00:02:20,840 Speaker 2: likely to live longer, to be non smokers, be highly educated, 31 00:02:21,000 --> 00:02:24,040 Speaker 2: and they were in general less likely to be overweight 32 00:02:24,800 --> 00:02:28,320 Speaker 2: or suffer from cardiovascular disease, so they would have had 33 00:02:28,800 --> 00:02:35,160 Speaker 2: healthier brains, you know, for several other reasons, perhaps than 34 00:02:35,440 --> 00:02:37,239 Speaker 2: just taking mind. 35 00:02:37,080 --> 00:02:41,240 Speaker 1: Diet observational means. It's not cause and effect. It's not 36 00:02:41,680 --> 00:02:46,600 Speaker 1: science setting up a and observing and seeing that b 37 00:02:46,720 --> 00:02:49,320 Speaker 1: inevitably follows. It's look, they are a heck of a 38 00:02:49,320 --> 00:02:51,600 Speaker 1: lot of people who are being surveyed, and the ones 39 00:02:51,639 --> 00:02:55,440 Speaker 1: who live longer and who have sharper brains in their 40 00:02:55,520 --> 00:02:58,800 Speaker 1: latter years tend to have eaten this kind of food. 41 00:02:58,880 --> 00:03:01,440 Speaker 1: So we think there is probably a link between the 42 00:03:01,440 --> 00:03:03,880 Speaker 1: food they were eating the length of time that they lived, 43 00:03:03,880 --> 00:03:06,480 Speaker 1: and the sharpness of their brain in their latter years. 44 00:03:07,760 --> 00:03:11,519 Speaker 2: Yes, and also perhaps that these people are often a 45 00:03:11,520 --> 00:03:15,559 Speaker 2: particular group of people is also more likely to exercise, 46 00:03:15,720 --> 00:03:19,440 Speaker 2: which I've worked love for university, which is very well 47 00:03:19,480 --> 00:03:23,800 Speaker 2: known for sports, and we know that people engage in 48 00:03:23,840 --> 00:03:29,080 Speaker 2: sports have a half half risk of developing ultimacy's most 49 00:03:29,120 --> 00:03:32,799 Speaker 2: common form of dementia. And so what we see is 50 00:03:32,840 --> 00:03:35,840 Speaker 2: a cluster of people doing all these things, and they 51 00:03:35,880 --> 00:03:39,560 Speaker 2: often come to my talks and then they ask things like, Okay, 52 00:03:39,600 --> 00:03:41,839 Speaker 2: I do all of this. How much red wine can 53 00:03:41,880 --> 00:03:45,480 Speaker 2: I drink? For instance, to reduce to mention that sort 54 00:03:45,520 --> 00:03:45,839 Speaker 2: of thing. 55 00:03:46,520 --> 00:03:48,920 Speaker 1: Well, that's a very important that's a very important question. 56 00:03:49,000 --> 00:03:49,840 Speaker 1: What's your answer. 57 00:03:51,400 --> 00:03:56,720 Speaker 2: Well, in the mind diet, actually the suggestion is to 58 00:03:56,840 --> 00:04:03,880 Speaker 2: doing very little alcohol and alcohol and so maybe one 59 00:04:04,160 --> 00:04:06,960 Speaker 2: glass of red wine a little class of red wine 60 00:04:07,000 --> 00:04:10,360 Speaker 2: a day. And some of the current guidelines actually suggest 61 00:04:10,480 --> 00:04:14,160 Speaker 2: that maybe wine isn't all that could you know, for 62 00:04:14,240 --> 00:04:16,680 Speaker 2: brain function. But on the other hand, if we want 63 00:04:16,720 --> 00:04:20,520 Speaker 2: to relax, that is very important too. So I don't 64 00:04:20,600 --> 00:04:23,480 Speaker 2: really have a very clear answer on that point just yet. 65 00:04:23,839 --> 00:04:30,600 Speaker 1: So how different is I think most people listening now 66 00:04:31,200 --> 00:04:33,839 Speaker 1: would have a reasonably clear idea of what's in a 67 00:04:33,880 --> 00:04:38,200 Speaker 1: Mediterranean diet, perhaps fewer knowing the DASH diet. But the 68 00:04:38,320 --> 00:04:43,040 Speaker 1: mind you say, takes from both the Mediterranean and the DASH. 69 00:04:43,200 --> 00:04:46,000 Speaker 1: So how does the mind diet differ from those two? 70 00:04:46,080 --> 00:04:49,360 Speaker 1: What what are the inns? What are the yeses in 71 00:04:49,440 --> 00:04:52,000 Speaker 1: the nose for the mind diet? 72 00:04:53,800 --> 00:04:56,680 Speaker 2: Well, the mind diet really is, as you said, a 73 00:04:56,680 --> 00:05:02,080 Speaker 2: combination of DASH and Mediatoryian dyet, and the Mediterranean diet 74 00:05:02,200 --> 00:05:05,640 Speaker 2: was initially you know, it's been found to be associated 75 00:05:05,640 --> 00:05:09,160 Speaker 2: with the hard health, with the bone, health less dementia, 76 00:05:09,279 --> 00:05:11,279 Speaker 2: longer lives and what have you. But this is of 77 00:05:11,320 --> 00:05:14,719 Speaker 2: course the traditional Mediterranean diet. It's not tira miso and 78 00:05:14,920 --> 00:05:21,159 Speaker 2: pizza and spaghetti carabonera. And that isn't so very prescriptive 79 00:05:21,480 --> 00:05:27,479 Speaker 2: in terms of serving sizes and times you should consume 80 00:05:27,520 --> 00:05:33,520 Speaker 2: particular foods. But DASH, which was set up to reduce hypertension, 81 00:05:33,560 --> 00:05:35,680 Speaker 2: which is important for heart disease and as places of 82 00:05:35,760 --> 00:05:40,360 Speaker 2: roller most demensions, that was a little bit more prescriptive, 83 00:05:40,800 --> 00:05:45,680 Speaker 2: really trying to reduce sodium intake, for instance, so we're 84 00:05:45,720 --> 00:05:49,200 Speaker 2: taken quite a bit of salt without realizing that, and 85 00:05:49,279 --> 00:05:53,200 Speaker 2: so DASH tries to reduce the amount of salt and 86 00:05:53,720 --> 00:05:57,000 Speaker 2: increase the amount of potassium, magnesium, and calcium, which we 87 00:05:57,120 --> 00:06:01,440 Speaker 2: know can reduce blood pressure. Does that by being a 88 00:06:01,480 --> 00:06:07,839 Speaker 2: little bit more prescriptive about servings and their mind is 89 00:06:08,000 --> 00:06:12,960 Speaker 2: even more specific in terms of how it's set up, 90 00:06:13,040 --> 00:06:16,799 Speaker 2: and so it discusses about things you should eat every day, 91 00:06:16,880 --> 00:06:20,919 Speaker 2: for instance, like nuts and seeds and whole grains, and 92 00:06:21,080 --> 00:06:25,680 Speaker 2: focusing on leafy greens like like kale and spinach every day, 93 00:06:25,880 --> 00:06:30,200 Speaker 2: which we think is very important, containing bee vitamins which 94 00:06:30,200 --> 00:06:34,440 Speaker 2: are very healthy, fol ate which are very healthy, so 95 00:06:35,040 --> 00:06:40,280 Speaker 2: this is very important. It talks about eating berries rather 96 00:06:40,360 --> 00:06:43,560 Speaker 2: than just fruit in general, because there's been several studies 97 00:06:43,560 --> 00:06:47,479 Speaker 2: sharing that, for instance, blueberries are very healthy for the brain. 98 00:06:47,800 --> 00:06:51,520 Speaker 2: And it suggests really only cook in olive oil if 99 00:06:51,560 --> 00:06:56,000 Speaker 2: you're not really eat all that much red meat, but 100 00:06:56,640 --> 00:07:00,839 Speaker 2: beans a couple of times a week, chicken maybe two 101 00:07:01,000 --> 00:07:04,280 Speaker 2: times a week, fish maybe once a week, and not 102 00:07:04,480 --> 00:07:09,600 Speaker 2: really really is right of old sugar, butter, and no 103 00:07:09,800 --> 00:07:14,400 Speaker 2: statue vegetables as well. So it's a lot more descriptive. 104 00:07:15,280 --> 00:07:18,960 Speaker 2: But I'd like to add John that there have been 105 00:07:19,760 --> 00:07:24,040 Speaker 2: a couple of experimental studies we just talked about you know, 106 00:07:24,080 --> 00:07:29,000 Speaker 2: where people are deliberately given either that mind diet or 107 00:07:29,040 --> 00:07:34,760 Speaker 2: a control diet. And one study just looking at a 108 00:07:34,920 --> 00:07:38,560 Speaker 2: middle aged people didn't really find any effects on brain health. 109 00:07:39,720 --> 00:07:44,200 Speaker 2: But two other studies found effect but not no difference 110 00:07:44,280 --> 00:07:50,080 Speaker 2: between people were overweight and followed that diet over three months. 111 00:07:50,120 --> 00:07:53,720 Speaker 2: Another study over three years, quite a large group, and 112 00:07:53,760 --> 00:07:57,920 Speaker 2: they didn't really find differences when they compared that to 113 00:07:58,480 --> 00:08:03,960 Speaker 2: another study where another diet, sorry, where people were losing weight. 114 00:08:04,200 --> 00:08:07,240 Speaker 2: And what the authors of both of these two studies 115 00:08:07,600 --> 00:08:10,800 Speaker 2: concluded was that it was weight loss that seemed to 116 00:08:10,800 --> 00:08:14,520 Speaker 2: be associated with better cognate function and better brain health. 117 00:08:14,560 --> 00:08:18,720 Speaker 1: In channel, thank you, We have to leave it there 118 00:08:18,720 --> 00:08:20,240 Speaker 1: now we're out of time, but thank you very much 119 00:08:20,240 --> 00:08:23,880 Speaker 1: to Professor I. F. Hogervorst, a professor of biological psychology 120 00:08:23,880 --> 00:08:26,800 Speaker 1: at Loughborough University in the UK. And if it's something 121 00:08:26,840 --> 00:08:29,960 Speaker 1: that interests you, then there's a lot of material available 122 00:08:30,000 --> 00:08:33,400 Speaker 1: on the internet. Just search for mind m I N 123 00:08:33,559 --> 00:08:37,520 Speaker 1: D diet and there are detailed descriptions of what you 124 00:08:37,559 --> 00:08:41,040 Speaker 1: should eat in order to increase the chances of brain 125 00:08:41,120 --> 00:08:43,560 Speaker 1: sharpness into your last years.