A new research found that the DASH diet (which is mostly used as a way to reduce high blood pressure) can also improve brain function as long as people also engage in regular exercise.
The improvement was substantial. A 30% improvement in mental activity was recorded in overweight adults who exercised and followed a DASH diet over those who did not.
The DASH diet was originally created to help people with high blood pressure improve their nutrition. It stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension and advocates the following:
- Less food with saturated fats, cholesterol, and overall fat
- More whole grain products, fish, poultry, and nuts
- Less red meat and sweets
- More fruit and vegetables
- foods that are rich in magnesium, potassium, and calcium
The reason may be that higher blood pressure actually diminishes mental activity and may even increase the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
The study which was published in Hypertension: Journal of the American Heart Association, divided 124 adults, men and women both, into 3 groups:
- One group followed the DASH diet and did regular aerobic exercise 3 times per week.
- The second group followed the DASH diet alone without exercise.
- The third group did not follow the diet nor did it exercise.
The entire study group did an assortment of tests that examined their mental ability as well as their physical condition. The first group that followed that DASH diet and exercised regularly experienced a 30% improvement in brain function as well as lower blood pressure, boosted their cardiovascular fitness, and lost an average of 19 pounds during the 4 months study.
Once again, the evidence shows how important fruit and veggies can be to your health. This is not only supported by the DASH diet but by other, well known nutritionists and fitness experts such as Isabel De Los Rios and Mike Geary, to name a few.
Source: WebMD
