DID YOU KNOW?

What we eat might affect disease progression, and at the very least will impact overall health and well-being.

Laurie Mischley, ND, PhD, MPH suggests there are some foods that might increase disease progression and others that seem to decrease the progression of the disease:

Mischley LK, Lau RC, Bennett RD. Role of Diet and Nutritional Supplements in Parkinson’s Disease Progression. Oxid Med Cell Longev. 2017;2017:6405278. doi: 10.1155/2017/6405278. Epub 2017 Sep 10. PMID: 29081890; PMCID: PMC5610862.

The disease-delaying healthy foods outlined by Laurie Mischley align closely with the recommended foods of the Mediterranean diet, and more specifically the MIND Diet.

What is the MIND Diet?

The MIND Diet stands for Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay Diet.

The MIND Diet was first introduced in 2015 to target a healthy brain. Like the Mediterranean and Dash diets, the MIND Diet recommends plant-based foods while limiting animal protein and saturated fats. Specifically, the MIND Diet recommends:

• Colorful fruits and vegetables, including leafy greens which are high in Vitamin B and Folate
• Healthy fats that decrease inflammation such as: fatty fish, seeds and nuts
• Lean protein and legumes
• Whole grains
• Olive oil provides powerful antioxidants and phytochemicals which have been shown to mitigate the effects of neurodegenerative decline in Parkinson’s disease

The MIND Diet also recommends foods to avoid or limit:

• Pastries and sweets
• Processed and ultra-processed foods
• Red meat
• Saturated fats from cheese, butter and fried foods
• Studies suggest that eating a MIND Diet may delay the progression of disability and Parkinson’s symptoms

NUTRITION TIPS AND TRICKS

The Mind Diet combines the Mediterranean–DASH Intervention for neurodegeneration and brain health. Key Goals of the MIND Diet:

• Eat leafy greens: every day or a minimum of 6 or more servings a week:
  • This may include spinach, kale, swiss chard, beet greens, collards, arugula, romaine lettuce, bok choy
  • Use leafy greens for salads, add a handful to omelets or sandwiches, add to soups, stews, blend into smoothies, make a flavorful pesto, or sauté greens with garlic, olive oil and lemon juice
• Other vegetables: 1 serving daily = 1 cup raw, 1 whole vegetable, or ½ cup cooked. Try to choose from the rainbow colors to eat all the colors by end of week:
  • Red: beets, red peppers, tomatoes, red potatoes
  • Orange: carrots, sweet potatoes, orange peppers, winter squash such as butternut, acorn, or delicata
  • Yellow: yellow peppers, summer squash, yellow tomatoes, sweet onions
  • Green: asparagus, broccoli, broccoli rabe, asparagus, green beans, cabbage, green onions
  • Blue/Violet: red cabbage, purple potatoes, olives, kidney beans, purple cabbage, eggplant
• Eat berries: most days (1 serving = ½ cup): Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries are powerhouses of antioxidants. They are high in fiber, low in sugar and taste great.
• Nuts: 5 servings per week, 1 serving = ¼ cup. Nuts provide healthy fats, vitamin E and have been shown to slow cognitive decline and improve brain health. Choose raw nuts and dry roast them yourself to avoid bad fats. Eat them as a snack or toss in salad, yogurts or alongside your fruit.
• Use olive oil daily: olive oil is naturally full of anti-oxidants that reduce oxidative stress and free radical damage in the body. Cold pressed oil retains all of these important antioxidants. Use olive oil as your main cooking oil in low heat cooking methods to sauté vegetables and greens. Drizzle extra virgin olive oil on your salads and to make pesto.
• Choose whole grains: aim for at least three servings daily. Choose whole grains for B vitamins and fiber. Good choices are steel cut or rolled oatmeal, quinoa, brown rice, whole-wheat pasta, and 100% whole wheat bread. Avoid refined flours such as white flour, white pasta and instant oatmeal as these are limited in nutrients.
• Include legumes: 4 or more servings per week, 1 serving = ½ cup. Legumes provide soluble, low glycemic carbohydrates, which provide the brain with steady amounts of energy, while also supporting gut health by providing resistant starch to feed beneficial bacteria. Choose a variety of legumes such as red kidney beans, black beans, chickpeas, lentils and fava beans.
• Add fish: 1 or more serving per week, 3- 5 oz cooked = 1 serving. It is best to choose fatty fish such as salmon, sardines, trout, tuna and mackerel for high amounts of anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids.
• Poultry: eat chicken or turkey at least twice per week. Bake or broil and remove the skin, which contains saturated fats. Try to season with anti-inflammatory herbs and spices such as garlic, cumin and turmeric.

MIND DIET RECOMMENDATIONS OF FOODS TO EAT LESS OFTEN

Keep in mind to protect your MIND – the less you eat of these, the better.

Avoid Saturated Fats:

• Red meat: less than 4 servings per week, 1 serving = 3 oz. Examples include beef, lamb, pork
• Cheese: less than 1 time per week, serving 1 oz
• Butter or soft margarine: in moderation; use olive oil as your main oil
• Stick Margarine: less than 1 tablespoon per day
• Processed trans fats/hydrogenated oils
• Pastries/sweets: less than 5 times per week
• Fast foods/fried foods: less than once per week

REFERENCES

Cherian L, Wang Y, Fakuda K, Leurgans S, Aggarwal N, Morris M. Mediterranean-Dash Intervention for Neurodegenera-tive Delay (MIND) Diet Slows Cognitive Decline After Stroke. J Prev Alzheimers Dis. 2019;6(4):267-273. doi: 10.14283/jpad.2019.28. PMID: 31686099; PMCID: PMC7199507.

Morris MC, Tangney CC, Wang Y, Sacks FM, Barnes LL, Bennett DA, Aggarwal NT. MIND diet slows cognitive decline with aging. Alzheimers Dement. 2015 Sep;11(9):1015-22. doi: 10.1016/j.jalz.2015.04.011. Epub 2015 Jun 15. PMID: 26086182; PMCID: PMC4581900.

Angeloni C, Malaguti M, Barbalace MC, Hrelia S. Bioactivity of Olive Oil Phenols in Neuroprotection. Int J Mol Sci. 2017 Oct 25;18(11):2230. doi: 10.3390/ijms18112230. PMID: 29068387; PMCID: PMC5713200.

Boronat A, Serreli G, Rodríguez-Morató J, Deiana M, de la Torre R. Olive Oil Phenolic Compounds’ Activity against Age-Associated Cognitive Decline: Clinical and Experimental Evidence. Antioxidants (Basel). 2023 Jul 22;12(7):1472. doi: 10.3390/antiox12071472. PMID: 37508010; PMCID: PMC10376491.

Tripoli E, Giammanco M, Tabacchi G, Di Majo D, Giammanco S, La Guardia M. The phenolic compounds of olive oil: structure, biological activity and beneficial effects on human health. Nutr Res Rev. 2005 Jun;18(1):98-112. doi: 10.1079/NRR200495. PMID: 19079898.

Nutrition information adapted by Paula Montagna, MS, RD, CND, CNSC, Director of Clinical Nutrition