Mediterranean Diet May Lower Risk of Developing Thinking and Memory Problems

A Mediterranean diet may help people avoid the small areas of brain damage that can lead to problems with thinking and memory, according to a study released today that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology's 62nd Annual Meeting in Toronto April 10 to April 17, 2010. The study found that people who ate a Mediterranean-like diet were less likely to have brain infarcts, or small areas of dead tissue linked to thinking problems.

The Mediterranean diet includes high intake of vegetables, legumes, fruits, fish, whole grains, and monounsaturated fatty acids such as olive oil; low intake of saturated fatty acids, dairy products, meat and poultry; and mild to moderate amounts of alcohol.

For the study, researchers assessed the diets of 712 people in New York and divided them into three groups based on how closely they were following the Mediterranean diet. Then they conducted MRI brain scans an average of six years later. A total of 238 people had at least one area of brain damage. Those who were most closely following a Mediterranean-like diet were 36 percent less likely to have areas of brain damage than those who were least following the diet. Those moderately following the diet were 21 percent less likely to have brain damage than the lowest group.

The relationship between this type of brain damage and the Mediterranean diet was comparable with that of high blood pressure. In other words, not eating a Mediterranean-like diet had about the same effect on the brain as having high blood pressure.

Previous research by Scarmeas and his colleagues showed that a Mediterranean-like diet may be associated with a lower risk of Alzheimer's disease and may lengthen survival in people with Alzheimer's disease. According to the present study, these associations may be partially explained by fewer brain infarcts.

Hostility Associated with Visceral Fat in Middle-Aged Women

In a study conducted at the Yale University School of Medicine and recently published in the Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine, researchers found that higher levels of hostility were associated with a greater amount of visceral fat in both African-American and white middle-aged women. This association remained significant after further adjustments for education and multiple coronary heart disease risk factors. Hostility was not associated with subcutaneous fat. They concluded that hostility may affect risk for coronary heart disease in women via the accumulation of visceral fat.

I think these findings are very significant and point once again to the link between stress (as hostility is a toxic emotion) and abdominal fat. Visceral fat, which hugs the internal organs, such as the kidneys, liver and pancreas, is considered to be more dangerous that subcutaneous fat, which is deposited just below the skin. My hunch is that hostility kept inside is even more dangerous than hostility that is outwardly expressed.

Maintaining Healthy Bones

For many years I have been following the work of Annemarie Colbin, Ph.D., nutritional expert and author of the recent book, "The Whole Food Guide to Strong Bones." I recently received the following email from her:

"Fosamax and similar drugs interfere with bone metabolism, which in turn interferes with blood metabolism- preventing calcium and other minerals from being released into the blood to keep its ph steady. They make bones more brittle and contribute to heart palpitations."

To maintain strong bones, Annemarie recommends eating salad or greens every day (for the calcium and vitamin K), eating sufficient protein (for the collagen matrix), avoiding "low fat" anything, and eating enough butter or olive oil (to keep the fat-soluble vitamins in solution). Cook everything with stock or bone broth. If possible, eat bones-from sardines, soft shell crabs, and chew on chicken bones. This approach works very well, and it's fun, cheap and tasty.

For more information on Annemarie Colbin, go to www.foodandhealing.com.

Lower Depression Risk Linked to Mediterranean Diet

Eating a Mediterranean-style diet packed with fruits, vegetables,legumes, nuts, olive oil and fish is good for your heart. Now scientists are suggesting the diet may be good for your mental health, too.

A study of over 10,000 Spaniards followed for almost four and half years found that those who reported eating a healthy Mediterranean diet at the beginning of the study were about half as likely to develop depression than those who said they did not stick to the diet.

All of the participants were free of depression when they were recruited to the study, and each filled out a 136-item food frequency questionnaire when they joined. Based on their self-reported dietary habits, they were assigned a score between 0 and 9, with the highest score reflecting the closest adherence to a Mediterranean diet. Over time, those who had scored between 5 and 9 on the Mediterranean diet were 42 to 51 percent less likely to develop depression than those who scored between 0 and 2.

Many scientists are convinced that the same damaging inflammatory and metabolic processes involved in cardiovascular disease may also play a role in mental health. Both cardiovascular disease and depression share common mechanisms related to endothelium function and inflammation, said Dr. Miguel Angel Martinez-Gonzalez, professor of preventive medicine at University of Navarra in Pamplona, Spain, and senior author of the paper, published in the October issue of Archives of General Psychiatry.

The membranes of our neurons are composed of fat, so the quality of fat that you are eating definitely has an influence on the quality of the neuron membranes, and the body's synthesis of neurotransmitters is dependent on the vitamins you're eating, Dr. Martinez-Gonzalez added. We think those with lowest adherence to the Mediterranean dietary plan have a deficiency of essential nutrients.

The elements of the diet most closely linked to a lower risk of depression were fruits and nuts, legumes and a high ratio of monounsaturated to saturated fats.

Gratitude Exercise Reduces Depression

A York University psychology professor, Myriam Mongrain, Ph.D., found that listing five things a day that one is grateful for can reduce depression symptoms. They found that this simple exercise especially increased well-being amongst people who tended to focus on the negative aspects of their lives.

Stress Management Training Helps Control Diabetes

Good diabetic control minimizes the risk of complications. Stress affects control directly through the release of hormones and indirectly by disrupting self-management activities. There have been numerous studies examining the impact of stress management interventions on glycaemic control. Researchers at Monash University in Australia recently reviewed all such studies since 1980 using searches of Medline and PsycInfo databases. The general trend suggested that stress management interventions may be useful in management of diabetes. Further research will provide greater understanding of the particular benefits of various components of stress management training in relation to specific subgroups of the diabetic population.

The Relaxation Effect

Achieving perfect health by just relaxing seems too simplistic. However, according to new evidence from researchers at Harvard Medical School, deep relaxation has a remarkable effect on a wide variety of medical conditions. This research illustrates that in long-term practitioners of relaxation techniques such as yoga and meditation, far more "disease-fighting genes" were found present and active in comparison to individuals who practiced no relaxation or stress-relief techniques.

Researchers found particular genes that protect from certain disorders and ailments "switched on," due to what they call "the relaxation effect," a phenomenon that is beginning to cause medical professionals to believe this relaxation effect is just as effective and powerful as any medical drug. The upside to natural relaxation techniques in comparison to medical drugs is that risks of negative side effects some of these drugs can cause are eliminated.

Dr. Herbert Benson, associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School explains how the research is so critical because it signifies how a person's state of mind influences their body on a physical and even genetic level. Jake Toby, hypnotherapist at London's BodyMind Medicine Centre explains relaxation as an action the body takes when the "parasympathetic nervous system switches on,,which is linked to better digestion, memory, and immunity"

With scientific research showing that relaxation techniques can boost immunity, improve fertility, lessen irritable bowel syndrome symptoms, lower blood pressure, and prevent inflammation that is linked to heart disease, arthritis, and asthma as well as some skin conditions, it is no wonder that people who value their health or who have become frustrated with traditional medicine are looking deeper into finding ways to relax naturally and reduce their stress on a daily basis.