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The Effects of the MIND and Mediterranean Diets on Parkinson’s Disease

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Adapted from an article by Dr. Rebecca Gilbert, American Parkinson’s Disease Association, May 4, 2021

New research into the best diets for Parkinson’s Disease (PD) reveals the Mediterranean and MIND diets may be associated with later age of onset of PD. Components of a Mediterranean diet include vegetables; fruits; whole grains; legumes such as beans, peas, and lentils; nuts; low-fat proteins, such as fish and poultry; and olive oil.

Another diet, known as the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet, was designed to help treat and prevent high blood pressure and emphasizes many of the same principles as the Mediterranean diet. More recently, experts suggested a combination of the Mediterranean and DASH diets, meant to maximize cognitive benefits. It is entitled the Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND) diet. Components of the MIND diet include green, leafy vegetables; all other vegetables; berries; whole grains; beans; nuts; poultry; fish; red wine; and olive oil.

The principles of the MIND diet are very similar to the Mediterranean diet, with some notable additions. The MIND diet recommends green leafy vegetables such as spinach and kale as the first choice over other vegetables. Berries (such as blueberries) are specifically promoted, as opposed to fruit in general. A small amount of red wine daily is also encouraged. (Please discuss this with your doctor.)

Why do these diets work?

The scientific underpinnings as to why these diets affect brain health are not fully understood and likely consist of a combination of different positive benefits—some of which have been established and others that have not. It is possible that the established heart benefits of the diets drive some of the brain health benefits. That is, the diets promote healthy hearts and clean blood vessels and therefore support excellent blood flow to the brain. It is well established that vascular disease in the brain can contribute to cognitive decline as well as the motor symptoms of Parkinsonism. Therefore, ensuring that the brain achieves good blood flow has positive benefits on brain health for everyone, especially those who have a disease such as PD.

In addition, specific components of the foods encouraged in these diets may work on the cellular level to protect neurons from cell death or decrease neuroinflammation. But knowing which elements are conferring the benefit is not straightforward. To date, researchers have not been able to identify a specific nutritional supplement that achieved the type of benefits in clinical trial demonstrated in this diet study. Currently, therefore, the best way to ingest the nutrients that protect the brain is through a comprehensive dietary plan and not by taking a defined group of supplements.

Takeaways

  • A new study has demonstrated that the MIND and Mediterranean diets are associated with a delay in onset of PD symptoms
  • Both of these diets emphasize vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and olive oil
  • The MIND diet adds green leafy vegetables and berries as important elements

Reference: Metcalfe-Roach A, Yu A, Golz E, et al. MIND and Mediterranean diets associated with later onset of Parkinson’s Disease. Mov Disord. 2021;36(4):977-984. doi: 10.1002/mds.28464.

The Olive Oil Hunter News #49

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Cheesy Smashed Potatoes with Mojo Colorado Recipe, Spotlight on Paprika, Benefits of Plant-based Diet and New, Fashion-Forward Heart Monitors

I love to take classic recipes to the next level with a tasty twist, and this week I’m adding pizzazz to twice-cooked potatoes. One of the special ingredients for this upgrade is pimentón, Spanish smoked paprika, a spice you’ll use often once you add it to your pantry. Speaking of smart additions, a new study on brain health and nutrients offers suggestions for fruits and vegetables to include in your diet—along with the benefits of olive oil, these foods can make a difference in cognitive skills. And for those who need to monitor their heart rate, an amazing new category of wearables is on the horizon.

CHEESY SMASHED POTATOES WITH MOJO COLORADO

  • CHEESY SMASHED POTATOES WITH MOJO COLORADO AND PAPRIKA Cheesy Smashed Potatoes with Mojo Colorado

    Mojo colorado is a classic red chile sauce from Spain’s Canary Islands. Great on smashed potatoes, it’s also wonderful as an accompaniment to anything you cook on the grill—meat, fish, or veggies.

    Ingredients

    For the mojo colorado:

    • 1 red bell pepper
    • 2 tablespoons pimentón
    • 1 small, fresh, hot red chile, stemmed, seeded, and roughly chopped
    • 3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
    • 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
    • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
    • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
    • 1/2 teaspoon kosher or sea salt or to taste
    • 1/4 cup water

    For the potatoes:

    • 8 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, skin on
    • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
    • Coarse kosher or sea salt
    • 1/2 cup coarsely grated Manchego cheese
    • 1/2 teaspoon pimentón

    Directions

    Step 1

    Make the mojo colorado: Char the bell pepper over a gas burner or under a broiler until it is blackened and blistered on all sides. Peel, stem, seed, and tear it into several pieces. Place in a blender jar with the other sauce ingredients, and blend until smooth. Add more salt if needed or water to thin. Set aside.

    Step 2

    Bake the potatoes: Preheat the oven to 375°F. (If you used your broiler to roast the pepper, let the oven cool to 375° before continuing the recipe.) Use 1 tablespoon of olive oil to coat a baking dish large enough to accommodate the potatoes. Bake the potatoes until they are soft when pierced with a knife or a bamboo skewer, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Remove from the oven and gently smash each potato with the back of a large spoon. Drizzle with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil, then season with salt. Top with the grated Manchego cheese and dust with pimentón. Return to the oven for 15 minutes.

    Step 3

    Drizzle with the mojo colorado before serving.

    Yields 4 to 6 side-dish servings.

Healthy Ingredient Spotlight: Paprika

Healthy Ingredient Spotlight

Head to Spain for Paprika

As members of the Fresh-Pressed Olive Oil Club know, I’m a big fan of pimentón, the uniquely Spanish spice made from peppers exclusively grown in La Vera, in the province of Cáceres. Very different from Hungarian paprika, its distinctive flavor comes partly from the climate and partly from a unique, centuries-old smoking process. (It’s pimentón that gives the region’s famed chorizo and other pork products their special flavor and color.) Just as you might have both half-sharp and sweet paprika, you’ll want to create a collection of sweet pimentón dulce, medium-hot pimentón agridulce, and the hottest choice, pimentón picante.

Healthy Kitchen Tip: How to Grate Cheese

Healthy Kitchen Nugget

Grated Cheese Simplified ​

There’s no doubt that the grating blade of a food processor makes shredding cheese a snap. But what’s old is new again—the box grater. I find it takes less time to shred a hunk of cheese on its largest holes than to cut wedges of cheese to fit in the mouth of the processor’s feed tube, not to mention washing the bowl and all the other parts. Place a sheet of parchment or wax paper under the box grater to catch all the shreds, and make sure the cheese you’re grating is very cold—no matter how you grate it, cheese at room temperature will clump.

For Your Best Health: Homemade meals and your health

For Your Best Health

Pass the Produce ​

You already know that many of the benefits of olive oil come from its phenolic compounds, which include phenols and flavonoids. A new study published in the journal Neurology demonstrated that people who eat a diet with foods high in flavonoids can lower their risk of cognitive decline by 20%. Flavonoids are powerful antioxidants naturally found in plants, and not getting antioxidants likely contributes to cognitive decline as we age.

The researchers looked at several types of flavonoids and found that flavones and anthocyanins may have the most protective effect. Think of them as powerhouses to prevent thinking skills from declining as you get older. Flavones—found in some spices, red chile peppers, and yellow or orange fruits and vegetables—had the strongest protective qualities and were linked to a 38% reduction in risk of cognitive decline—the equivalent of being three to four years younger in age. Anthocyanins—found in blueberries, blackberries, and cherries—were associated with a 24% reduced risk of cognitive decline.

“Our results are exciting because they show that making simple changes to your diet could help prevent cognitive decline,” said study author and Harvard professor Walter Willett, MD, DrPH. “The people in our study who did the best over time ate an average of at least half a serving per day of foods like orange juice, oranges, peppers, celery, grapefruits, grapefruit juice, apples, and pears…While it is possible other phytochemicals are at work here, a colorful diet rich in flavonoids—and specifically flavones and anthocyanins—seems to be a good bet for promoting long-term brain health. And it’s never too late to start, because we saw those protective relationships whether people were consuming the flavonoids in their diet 20 years ago or if they started incorporating them more recently.”

Fitness Flash: Heart Monitors

Fitness Flash

Heart Monitors Go Fashion-Forward ​

There’s a new twist on the expression “wearing your heart on your sleeve.” Scientists at Rice University and the University of Pennsylvania have developed “smart clothing” that uses conductive nanotube thread capable of taking a continuous electrocardiogram, or EKG, as you wear it. The fibers, which were sewn into athletic wear, proved to be just as conductive as metal wires but washable, comfortable, and far less likely to break when you move and exercise. What’s more, the garment proved better at gathering data than a standard chest-strap monitor and even slightly better than a traditional EKG. The fibers provide steady electrical contact with the skin and also act as electrodes to connect with electronics like Bluetooth transmitters to relay data to a smartphone or to connect to a Holter monitor that can be stowed in a user’s pocket, explained lead author Lauren Taylor at Rice. This could be an important tool for detecting heart rhythm problems and other issues and help people with heart concerns stay in a safe zone when exercising. Plans are underway to refine the design so that it has more surface area to contact the skin.

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The Olive Oil Hunter News #43

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Grilled Halloumi Over Salad Recipe, Spotlight on Cheeses That Can Take the Heat, When to Wash Veggies and The Link Between Exercise and Sleep

Who doesn’t love a gooey grilled-cheese sandwich? But what can you do when you want cheesy goodness without the bread? The delicious answer is cheese varieties that hold their shape under heat.

GRILLED HALLOUMI OVER SALAD

  • GRILLED HALLOUMI OVER SALAD Grilled Halloumi Over Salad

    I’m a huge fan of halloumi, a brined goat’s milk cheese from Cyprus. Because it has a high melting point, this firm, somewhat salty cheese can be grilled directly on the grate. You can skewer chunks along with your favorite veggies or simply grill slices and serve them with the refreshing seasonal salad in this recipe.

    Ingredients

    • 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
    • 1 tablespoon best-quality red wine vinegar 
    • 1 teaspoon fresh oregano, chopped, or 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano 
    • Kosher salt to taste
    • Freshly ground black pepper to taste
    • 8 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved 
    • 1 cucumber, diced
    • One head romaine lettuce, washed, dried, and torn 
    • 12 brined Kalamata olives, drained, pitted, and halved 
    • 1/2 cup loosely packed flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chopped
    • 12 ounces of halloumi, cut crosswise into 1/3-inch-thick slices 
    • 4 tablespoons Greek yogurt (optional)

    Directions

    Step 1

    Make the salad: In a bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, the red wine vinegar, oregano, salt, and pepper. Add the tomatoes, cucumber, lettuce, olives, and parsley. Toss gently to coat the vegetables with the dressing and divide evenly on four plates.

    Step 2

    Pour the rest of the olive oil onto a rimmed sheet pan and gently coat both sides of each cheese slice. On a medium-hot grill, grill the cheese for 1 to 2 minutes per side, turning with tongs or a thin-bladed spatula. (Work in batches if necessary.) 

    Step 3

    Top each salad plate with equal amounts of the grilled cheese and add a dollop of yogurt, if desired. Serve immediately. 

    Yields 4 servings.

Healthy Ingredient Spotlight: Americans and Potatoes

Healthy Ingredient Spotlight

More Cheeses That Can Take the Heat

Halloumi isn’t the only fresh, semi-firm cheese that can be cooked without melting. Another great one is paneer, the cheese used in Indian cuisine, most famously the creamy spinach dish saag paneer. It’s readily available at many markets, not just specialty shops. And from frigid Finland comes leipäjuusto, popular there at breakfast, according to the experts at the magazine Culture: The Word on Cheese. These cheeses will soften when grilled, but they won’t break down and melt thanks to their low acid content. That’s also the reason you may hear a squeaking sound as you bite into them!

Healthy Kitchen Tip: Grapefruit Knife

Healthy Kitchen Nugget

When Exactly to Wash Veggies

While most concern over food contamination centers on raw meat, vegetables as well as fruits can have organisms you want to keep out of the kitchen. Here are some tips from the FDA and the University of Maine Cooperative Extension to stay safe.

Start by choosing produce that isn’t bruised or damaged. If shopping for precut foods, like fruit chunks or bags of lettuce, make sure they’ve been kept refrigerated or on ice at the store, and get them into the fridge as soon as you get home. If a food gets marred before you’ve had a chance to use it, cut off the affected areas before preparing or eating it.

There are also steps to take with freshly harvested produce, whether from your own garden or a farmers’ market. Washing off produce can help reduce microorganisms. There’s no need to use soap or a special produce wash—just gently rub the produce while holding it under plain running water. Do make sure the water is no more than 10 degrees Fahrenheit colder than the food, or else any pathogens could get drawn in through the stem (if there is one). Because excess water can lead to faster molding or rotting, be sure to thoroughly dry your produce with clean paper towels before storing it in the fridge. To store produce without washing it first, shake, rub, or brush off any garden dirt with either a clean, soft brush or a clean, dry paper towel before you bring it inside if possible. Then place the produce in a plastic bag or container to prevent any risk of contamination to other foods in your fridge. For a list of which produce should be washed and which produce should be wiped clean, check out this resource page from the University of Maine Cooperative Extension.

Always rinse produce right before you peel or cut it so that any dirt and bacteria aren’t picked up by your knife and transferred back onto the fruit or vegetable or elsewhere in your kitchen.

For Your Best Health: Brain Health

For Your Best Health

The Mediterranean Diet: Brain Booster

One of the reasons I’m such a proponent of olive oil is the key role it plays in the fabulously healthy Mediterranean diet, known for its heart health benefits. A recent study published in the journal Neurology advances the theory that it protects brain health too. The researchers found that, among a group of 500 seniors, those who ate an unhealthy diet had higher levels of amyloid and tau proteins, which have been linked to Alzheimer’s, in their cerebrospinal fluid, and that they performed worse in memory tests than those who regularly ate a Mediterranean-like diet. “There was also a significant positive correlation between a closer adherence to a Mediterranean-like diet and a higher volume of the hippocampus. The hippocampus is an area of the brain that is considered the control center of memory. It shrinks early and severely in Alzheimer’s disease,” explained Tommaso Ballarini, PhD, lead author of the study. “It is possible that the Mediterranean diet protects the brain from protein deposits and brain atrophy that can cause memory loss and dementia.” The researchers will continue their work by reexamining the same study participants in four to five years.

In the meantime, this delicious way of eating isn’t complicated. According to the Mayo Clinic, while there is no single definition of the Mediterranean diet, it is typically high in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, beans, nuts and seeds, and olive oil. Here’s an easy way to adopt it:

  • Daily: vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and healthy fats
  • Weekly: fish, poultry, beans and eggs with moderate portions of dairy
  • Limited: red meat

Fitness Flash: The Link Between Exercise and Sleep

Fitness Flash

The Link Between Exercise and Sleep

There are many factors that contribute to good health, with getting enough exercise and getting good quality sleep among them. We know that, separately, physical inactivity and poor sleep are linked to a greater risk of death from causes such as heart disease and cancer. New research published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine now shows that exercise and sleep may be more linked to each other than we thought. Scientists looked at the exercise and sleep patterns of more than 380,000 middle-aged adults over an 11-year period and how different combinations affected their health. Not surprisingly, compared with those with a high physical activity level and healthy sleep combination, those at the other extreme—no moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and poor sleep—were most at risk for heart disease, stroke, and cancer. However, the findings also showed that getting the recommended 150 minutes of exercise a week could mitigate the risks posed by poor sleep, prompting the researchers to suggest that there’s a certain synergy between the two activities. This was an observational study that relied on self-reported data so cause and effect can’t be established, but it does give the idea that you should meet physical activity goals as you work on getting better sleep. Other lifestyle habits that helped participants achieve better sleep levels were being thinner, eating more fruits and vegetables, spending less time sitting each day, not smoking, and limiting alcohol.

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The Olive Oil Hunter News #40

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Spinach and Strawberry Salad with Bacon Recipe, Spotlight on Strawberries, How to Properly Store Berries, Eating Whole Fruits and Counting Your Steps for Your Best Health

Salads were made for hot summer days when you want to keep cooking to a minimum. And there’s no better way to enhance your favorite greens with another hallmark of the season—fresh berries. The mix of sweet and savory is a true palate pleaser and really elevates the experience.

Spinach and Strawberry Salad with Bacon

  • The Olive Oil Hunter News #40 Spinach and Strawberry Salad with Bacon

    My wife, Meghan, and I enjoyed this simple salad on the first day of our first Chilean olive oil expedition, and we recreated it as soon as we returned home. For an equally delicious variation, substitute blueberries and chopped walnuts for the strawberries and almonds.

    Ingredients

    • 6 strips thick-cut bacon, diced
    • 10 ounces fresh spinach, sliced into thin strips
    • 1 quart ripe strawberries, hulled and sliced
    • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
    • Juice of one lemon
    • 1 teaspoon honey or more to taste
    • Coarse kosher or sea salt to taste
    • Freshly ground black pepper to taste
    • 1/4 cup sliced almonds

    Directions

    Step 1

    Place the bacon in a cold skillet and bring the heat to medium. Cook the bacon until the fat is rendered and the bacon is crisp, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain the bacon on paper towels and set aside. Arrange the spinach and strawberries in a large serving bowl.

    Step 2

    Make the dressing: Combine the olive oil, lemon juice, honey, and salt and pepper in a small bowl. Whisk to mix. Taste and add more honey or salt or pepper as needed. Just before serving, drizzle the dressing over the salad, tossing gently to mix. Top with the reserved bacon and the almonds.

    Yields 4 servings.

Healthy Ingredient Spotlight: Savoring Strawberries

Healthy Ingredient Spotlight

Savoring Strawberries

I’m such a big fan of berries. Not only are they delicious, but the icing on the cake is that these fruits are nutrient powerhouses. Blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries seem to get all the attention for their phytonutrients—plant-based compounds that are essential for good health. But strawberries, too, have their fair share of anthocyanins, which give all berries their vivid colors. Strawberries also have fiber and vitamin C, one of their many antioxidants—a cup of berries has more C than an orange. Antioxidants help fight cell damage throughout the body. Choose strawberries with a uniform bright red color, a good indicator of their antioxidant content.

Healthy Kitchen Tip: Smart Storing for Berries

Healthy Kitchen Nugget

Smart Storing

Whether you grow your own or get your berries at a farmer’s market, don’t wash them in advance. It’s very hard to dry them thoroughly enough to prevent excess moisture from encouraging mold or rot, even in the fridge. The University of Maine Extension suggests “dry cleaning” them by shaking, rubbing, or brushing off any garden dirt with either a clean, soft brush or a clean dry paper towel (do this while still outside if you’re harvesting your own). Discard any crushed or spoiled berries. Then place them, with their green tops still on, in a plastic bag or container to prevent contamination of other foods in the refrigerator. When you’re ready to eat, gently rinse them under cool running water.

If you have such a bounty that you want to freeze some, then do wash them carefully in cold water and pat dry as thoroughly as possible without bruising them. Hull them (a grapefruit knife makes fast work of removing the stems) and freeze on a baking sheet—this prevents them from freezing in a clump. As soon as they’re frozen, transfer to a freezer-safe container or bag.

For Your Best Health: Eating Whole Fruits for Health

For Your Best Health

Whole Fruits

Diabetes is a growing global concern, with around half a billion people affected. It happens when your pancreas, which produces insulin in response to high levels of sugar in your blood, can’t produce enough to bring those levels down. We know a healthy lifestyle helps lower diabetes risk, and that includes following a smart diet. Research published in the Endocrine Society’s Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism offers a great step to take in that direction. “We found people who consumed around two servings of fruit per day had a 36 percent lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes over the next five years than those who consumed less than half a serving of fruit per day,” said study author Nicola Bondonno, PhD, of the Edith Cowan University Institute for Nutrition Research in Perth, Australia. “We did not see the same patterns for fruit juice.”

The researchers noted a link between eating whole fruit and markers of insulin sensitivity—study participants who ate more fruit had to produce less insulin to lower blood glucose levels. “This is important because high levels of circulating insulin can damage blood vessels and are related not only to diabetes, but also to high blood pressure, obesity, and heart disease,” explained Dr. Bondonno.

Fitness Flash: Every Step Counts

Fitness Flash

Every Step Counts

For optimum health, getting 10,000 steps a day has been the holy grail, but new research presented at the American Heart Association’s Epidemiology, Prevention, Lifestyle & Cardiometabolic Health Conference 2021 found that taking just 4,500 daily steps may help you live longer, whether you reach that goal through a concentrated effort or from small increments throughout the day.

Participants involved in the nine-year study wore a step-counting device so that the researchers could compare the effects of uninterrupted bouts of steps, such as walking for 10 minutes or longer, to occasional short spurts, such as climbing stairs and general activities like housework or just walking to or from a car.

“Technological advances made in recent decades have allowed researchers to measure short spurts of activity. Whereas, in the past we were limited to only measuring activities people could recall on a questionnaire,” said lead study author Christopher C. Moore, MS, a PhD student in epidemiology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. “With the help of wearable devices, more research is indicating that any type of movement is better than remaining sedentary.”

Of course, the effects of movement/exercise are cumulative. It’s important to note that there are further benefits gained from getting in 2,000 steps in uninterrupted increments, including for heart health as well as for longevity.

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