STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:
A study shows evidence that diet, exercise and other lifestyle changes can improve our brains and reduce decline as we age. We age? OK, I guess we better accept that. The study tracked people in their 60s and 70s. And we're going to talk about the findings of one of the co-authors, Heather Snyder, who's with the Alzheimer's Association, which funded this study. She's at their international conference. Welcome.
HEATHER SNYDER: Thanks for having me.
INSKEEP: Thanks for getting up early. You started here with people who had a sedentary lifestyle, didn't move around so much, had less-than-ideal diet. And so then what'd you have them do?
SNYDER: And then the study, called U.S. POINTER, tested interventions that were really focused on brain health. One was self-guided, where the individuals set their own goals. And one was called structured, which really had greater intensity and accountability. And the intervention went over a two-year period and looked at the impact on cognition.
INSKEEP: It seems intuitive to me that if you're in better health, your brain might be in better health. But how is your diet connected to the way that your brain functions?
SNYDER: So as we think about, you know, what we're putting into our body, it's being processed. It's being used. And those nutrients are what our brain is using for its everyday processes. So, you know, how we're feeding our body is also how we're feeding our brain.
INSKEEP: So what do you eat for a better brain?
SNYDER: So we used the MIND diet in this particular study, which is really a lot of dark leafy vegetables, low saturated fats, low sugars. So - but it's that moderation, is - you can still have the stuff that you might really enjoy in the after-dinner meal or the dessert, but moderate that and balance it out with these other foods.
INSKEEP: And then where does, like, general health and exercise - where does that fit in?
SNYDER: So we looked at physical activity that built in aerobic exercise, resistance training, stretching four times a week - up to four times a week, 30 minutes a week, with the idea of, how can you get your heart - your blood pumping and moving and really stretch yourself in that way?
INSKEEP: Did you mean 30 minutes a week or 30 minutes per day, each of those sessions?
SNYDER: Thirty minutes per day, four times a week.
INSKEEP: Got it. Got it. OK. Of course, you want to get going for, I think, at least 15 or 20 minutes to really get your heart going, right? That's the necessary...
SNYDER: Absolutely.
INSKEEP: Yeah. So when you had people in the study try those things, how did it affect their brains, and how do you measure that?
SNYDER: What we looked at was cognitive function. We looked at the executive function, the memory, the thinking of the individuals over time. And we found that while that improved in both groups, the structured intervention - the one with the greater accountability, the greater intensity and the greater structure overall - actually had a significantly greater benefit.
INSKEEP: Ah. So follow more strict directions, make sure you do it up to four times a week and everything else, and then you're in a better position.
SNYDER: And our estimates suggest that that - that compared to the self-guided, the structured group compared at a level that was comparable to an adult one to two years younger in age.
INSKEEP: Ah.
SNYDER: So when we think about that aging, are we able to maintain our memory, our thinking, our executive function for somebody a little bit younger?
INSKEEP: Yeah. That matters. Heather, I'm not going to ask your age. But having done this study, are you following this advice?
SNYDER: I'm certainly looking at all the aspects of my behavior, my lifestyle and how I can continue to do more and think about that intensity, accountability and structure that you can bring into your day-to-day activities.
INSKEEP: Looking at all the aspects. That sounds a little evasive. Is the answer yes? Are you doing these things?
SNYDER: I'm doing many of them and continuing to push myself further and further.
INSKEEP: Got you. Got you. Heather Snyder is senior vice president, medical and scientific relations at the Alzheimer's Association. Thanks for your insights. Really appreciate it.
SNYDER: Thanks so much.
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