Plant-based diets improve heart health and brain function

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What to do if could you improve your heart health and brain function by changing your diet? Boston University School of Medicine researchers found that by eating more plant-based foods, such as berries and green leafy vegetables, while limiting your intake of foods high in saturated fat and animal products, you can slow the development of heart failure (HF) and ultimately , reduce the risk of cognitive decline and dementia.

Heart failure (HF) affects more than 6.5 million adults in the United States. In addition to detrimental effects on multiple organ systems, the presence of heart failure is associated with a higher risk of cognitive decline and dementia. Similarly, changes in heart structure and function (cardiac remodeling) that precede heart failure are associated with poor cognitive function and brain health.

Adopting diets such as the Mediterranean Diet (MIND) and Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH), which are characterized by a high intake of plant foods, are among the lifestyle recommendations to prevent hot flashes. However, it is still unclear whether a diet that focuses on foods that are believed to support neurocognitive health, changes in heart structure and function (cardiac remodeling) moderates.

Researchers found that the MIND diet, which emphasizes the consumption of berries and green leafy vegetables while limiting the consumption of foods high in saturated fat and animal products, has a positive effect on the function of the heart's left ventricle, which is responsible for pumping oxygen-rich blood throughout the body.

Scientists evaluated dietary and echocardiographic data from 2,512 participants in the Framingham Heart Study (Offspring Cohort), compared their MIND diet score with measures of cardiac structure and function, and noted that a diet that emphasized foods believed to support neurocognitive health. also moderates cardiac remodeling.

While Xantakis acknowledges that maintaining a healthy diet may not always be easy or fit into today's busy schedules, people should make a concerted effort to follow a healthy diet to reduce disease risk and achieve better quality of life.