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Jenna Cully, NFS 330: Integrative and Functional Nutrition
Faculty Mentor: Professor Suk Oh, Health, Nutrition, & Dietetics
Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND) Diet: Can It Prevent Alzheimer's Disease? Alzheimer's disease is an irreversible, progressive brain disorder that slowly destroys memory and cognition abilities and, eventually, the ability to perform the simplest of tasks. The purpose of my research is to find if certain foods or diet can prevent the disease. A first symptom of the disease includes mild memory loss, progressively followed by more advanced symptoms such as changes in behavior and impaired motor skills such as speaking, swallowing, and walking. Is there a way to cure, prevent, or manage Alzheimer's disease? After a literature review, I found that there is currently no known cure for the disease, but research has been conducted to determine whether diet can reduce risks of the disease. Dietary supplements like omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin B12, and folic acid have been tested, but research has not been able to find any evidence of prevention or cure. However, research with the Mediterranean diet or Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND) diet show that both have been scientifically proven to decrease one's risk of developing the disease. In typical Alzheimer's cases, people have a reduced cortical thickness and increased amyloid plaques. By following the Mediterranean diet or the MIND diet, brain metabolism can remain stagnant and cognitive decline can slow substantially. Alzheimer's cannot be cured, but following one of the stated diets can possibly prevent the disease if followed through a majority of one's life, or prolong the onset if started in adulthood.
Publication Date
2020
Recommended Citation
Cully, Jenna, "Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND) Diet: Can It Prevent Alzheimer's Disease?" (2020). Health and Social Work. 22nd Annual Student Research and Creativity Conference. SUNY Buffalo State.
https://digitalcommons.buffalostate.edu/srcc-sp20-hlthsw/5
