Novel diet lowers risk of stroke, depression *Gluten free meal reduces nerve pain by 89% for 20m people

PEOPLE who eat vegetables, fruit and whole grains may have lower rates of depression over time, according to a preliminary study released last week that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology's 70th Annual Meeting in Los Angeles, April 21 to 27, 2018.

The study found that people whose diets adhered more closely to the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet were less likely to develop depression than people who did not closely follow the diet. In addition to fruit and vegetables, the DASH diet recommends fat-free or lowfat dairy products and limits foods that are high in saturated fats and sugar. Studies have shown health benefits such as lowering high blood pressure and bad cholesterol (LDL), along with lowering body weight.

"Depression is common in older adults and more frequent in people with memory problems, vascular risk factors such as high blood pressure or high cholesterol, or people who have had a stroke," said study author Laurel Cherian, MD, of Rush University Medical Center in Chicago and a member of the American Academy of Neurology. "Making a lifestyle change such as changing your diet is often preferred over taking medications, so we wanted to see if diet could be an effective way to reduce the risk of depression."

For the study, 964 participants with an average age of 81 were evaluated yearly for an average of six-and-a-half years. They were monitored for symptoms of depression such as being bothered by things that usually didn't affect them and feeling hopeless about the future. They also filled out questionnaires about how often they ate various foods, and the researchers looked at how closely the participants' diets followed diets such as the DASH diet, Mediterranean diet and the traditional Western diet.

Participants were divided into three groups based on how closely they adhered to the diets. People in the two groups that followed the DASH diet most closely were less likely to develop depression than people in the group that did not follow the diet closely. The odds of becoming depressed over time was 11 percent lower among the top group of DASH adherers versus the lowest group. On the other hand, the more closely people followed a Western diet--a diet that is high in saturated fats and red meats and low in fruits and vegetables--the more likely they were to develop depression.

Cherian noted that the study does not prove that the DASH diet leads to a reduced risk of depression; it only shows an association.

"Future studies are now needed to confirm these results and to determine the best nutritional components of the DASH diet to prevent depression later in life and to best help people keep their brains healthy," said Cherian.

Meanwhile, new research claims a gluten-free diet could help prevent nerve pain.

Researchers found a diet free of a protein found in wheat and some grains can ease the symptoms associated with gluten neuropathy, a nerve condition that causes weakness, numbness and pain, typically in the hands or feet.

Gluten sensitivity is best known for causing abdominal pain, bloating and gas, but for some, the food intolerance can also result in the nerve pain condition.

THE risk of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis may be increased for people who are frequently exposed to diesel exhaust, new research suggests.

In a study of more than 1,600 adults, scientists working at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston, MA, United States (U.S.), found that men with higher exposure to diesel exhaust over 5–10 years were at least 20 percent more likely to develop amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) than men with no exposure.

Study co-author Aisha Dickerson, PH.D., and her colleagues are due to present their findings at the American Academy of Neurology's (AAN) Annual Meeting, which will be held in Los Angeles, CA, in April. ALS, or Lou Gehrig's disease, is a progressive neurological condition in which the nerve cells that control voluntary muscle movement are damaged.

Early symptoms of the disease include cramping, weakness, and stiffness of the muscles, problems chewing and swallowing, and slurred speech. Mobility and breathing problems arise as the disease progresses.

Familial ALS, wherein a genetic mutation for the disease is inherited from a parent, accounts for around 5–10 percent of all ALS cases. The remaining 90–95 percent of cases are sporadic, meaning that no specific risk factors for the condition can be found. Previous studies have suggested that environmental factors could be involved in the development of ALS. A 2013 study published in PLOS One, for example, uncovered a link between exposure to diesel exhaust and a greater risk of ALS.

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