Being bored can increase your risk of death from cardiovascular disease according to a recent report. If brain fitness means keeping interested in life and mentally active, then an active brain fitness program may help you avoid the risk associated with boredom.
Studies reported in this week’s Journal of the American Medical Association (August 12, 2009) support the relation of physical activity and the Mediterranean diet to reduced risk for Alzheimer’s disease. The first study, by Scarmeas and his colleagues, showed that persons who report following the Mediterranean diet and who are more physically active were less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease over several years. The average age of the participants was 77 years, so this group (called the Northern Manhattan cohort) would have been at higher risk than younger individuals.
The second study, by Feart and her colleagues, looked at adherence to the Mediterranean diet and risk for having problems on certain mental ability tests. Here again, the study suggests that following the Mediterranean diet was associated with a reduced risk of developing certain kinds of cognitive problems.
The study was discussed by Dr. Nancy Snyderman on the Today Show. You can find a link to a page that will let you see the segment from the show here. (Look for a link to “Study: Mediterranean diet cuts Alzheimer’s risk.” You also have to watch a commercial; that’s NBC, not me). I think that she may overstate the case based on the research; there’s a very nice editorial in this same issue of the Journal by well-known neurologist David Knopman. He points out a number of possible reasons for these findings that might affect the conclusion that the Mediterranean diet and exercise reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s. He suggests we should “nibble and savor” the results of these studies, not “swallow them whole.”
It’s still premature to be sure that following the Mediterranean diet or being physically activity will prevent Alzheimer’s disease. Given what we know about the relation of cardiovascular health and risk for Alzheimer’s, and what we know about diet and exercise and cardiovascular health, though, I think it’s a good idea to pay close attention to your diet and to exercise safely.
Worry and GAD Blog
An article in today’s New York Times reports on the ways that being constantly online can affect cognition. More and more research has shown that learning depends on not only on spending time with new material, but also on having downtime. Researchers have long suspected that some form of downtime …
A report from researchers now has shown that cognitive training can increase blood flow to parts of the brain critical for attention and memory. The report in Frontiers in Human Neuroscience (March 12, 2010) used functional MRI to evaluate how a training program affected gray matter thickness and resting blood …
A new study shows that physical activity may reduce the risk of developing cognitive impairment. The INVADE study, completed almost 4,000 people older than 55 years, showed that people who engaged in some form of physical activity three times a week or more were less likely to develop memory problems …
Lots of people work more than 40 hours a week. Now a major British study shows that large amounts of overtime work is associated with an increased risk of coronary heart disease. Since to a large extent heart health is also brain health, it looks as though overtime work might …
Mindfulness meditation as practiced over a long period by experts makes clear changes in someone’s brain function. But what about those of us who don’t have a few years to sit in a monastery in the Himalayas? A new study shows that even brief meditation practice can improve attention. Researchers …