Carrolltown Benefits of a Mediterranean Diet for Issues like Obesity and Neurodegenerative Diseases and others

January 25, 2024

Inflammation and pain. Living healthy and eating well. Obesity and neurodegenerative disease. These are some combos! Gormish Chiropractic & Rehabilitation welcomes these every day in our Carrolltown chiropractic practice, describes the connections, and urges the exploration of new and different-to-you ways to enhance health via nutrition like the Mediterranean diet to manage obesity and neurodegenerative disease.

NEURODEGENERATIVE DISEASES AND OBESITY

The benefits of a Mediterranean diet for patients with neurodegenerative diseases are just getting clearer…as are indicators both conditions share like inflammation (which also impacts back pain sufferers). Such a diet of natural products providing antioxidants, fiber, and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids could avert cell death and even bring back function to damaged neurons. (1) Neurodegenerative diseases like multiple sclerosis (MS), Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s and obesity are linked to low grade inflammation leading to concerns like neuronal inflammation, brain atrophy and cognitive decline. With obesity affecting almost 30% of people around the world, any connections that can address inflammation and fight obesity like diet and physical activity are encouraging. (2) We can all find prasie for that!

“WHAT CAN I EAT WITH THE MEDITERRANEAN DIET?”

US News & World Report ranked the Mediterranean Diet as the #1 Best Heart-Healthy Diet, Best Diet for Bone and Joint Health, Best Diet for Diabetes and Best Diet for Healthy Eating in 2024. Core foods are simple: fruits, veggies, whole grains, beans, herbs, spices, nuts, and healthy fats. (Think: avocado oil.) Incorporate fish and seafood a couple times a week with dairy, eggs, and poultry on occasion. Skip the red meats and sweet goodies except for special occasions. The Mediterranean Diet Pyramid (Think of it as a re-organized USDA food pyramid so many of us remember from our younger years.) consists of red wine (in moderation) and water (lots of it!). It also includes eating with friends, dancing, exercising, being physically active! (3) These are the enjoyable activies in life!

PRAISE FOR THE MEDITERRANEAN DIET

Mediterranean diet researchers and advocates record so many benefits: improved brain function, longer life, specific kinds of cancer prevention, heart disease/high blood pressure/”bad” cholesterol reduction, diabetes security, weight loss/management support, depression deterence, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s prevention, rheumatoid arthritis and eye health improvement, improved breathing, improved infertility, healthier babies, and more! (3) Most everyone may benefit from the Mediterranean diet! Neurodegenerative diseases experience a loss of neuronal structure and function in addition to progressive dysfunction. Neurodegeneration has many different pathological processes that natural products – especially the ones that have bioactive compounds that have the ability to cross the blood brain barrier - are important as neuroprotectors. Some such natural products are better recognized than others: quercetin (green tea, tomato, capers, black and red wine), luteolin, Reservatol (grapes, nuts, fruits), apigenin (flavonoids), genistein (isoflavone), Hesperidin (grapes/citrus), etc. (4) Our Carrolltown chiropractic patients are manytimes prescribed anti-inflammatory meds, so our back pain patients may also feel some relief from this kind of low inflammation diet. The Mediterranean Diet offers so much variety of natural goods!

CONTACT Gormish Chiropractic & Rehabilitation

Listen to this PODCAST with Dr. James Cox about the role of inflammation in back pain and spine pain and neck pain on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he describes the benefits of The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management.

Schedule your Carrolltown chiropractic appointment today. Eating well is not that hard and is so good for our Carrolltown chiropractic friends, especially those fighting a few extra pounds and/or dealing with neurodegeneration-related issues.

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