Researchers in Hong Kong are testing whether combining a heart-healthy diet called MIND with regular forest visits can lower bad cholesterol in adults over 50. The MIND diet focuses on brain and heart-healthy foods like leafy greens, berries, and fish, while forest bathing involves spending peaceful time in nature. This study will follow 273 people for 12 weeks, comparing those who do both activities, just the diet, or continue their normal routine. The goal is to see if this natural approach can reduce heart disease risk better than diet alone.

The Quick Take

  • What they studied: Whether combining a brain-healthy diet with regular forest visits can lower bad cholesterol levels in middle-aged and older adults
  • Who participated: 273 adults aged 50-75 years living in Hong Kong who have high bad cholesterol levels, recruited from community centers
  • Key finding: This is a study protocol - results are not yet available as the research is still being conducted
  • What it means for you: If you’re over 50 with high cholesterol, this research may eventually show whether adding nature time to a healthy diet provides extra heart benefits

The Research Details

This is a single-blind randomized controlled trial, which means participants are randomly placed into one of three groups, but they don’t know which treatment group they’re in until the study begins. One group follows the MIND diet and does forest bathing, another group only follows the MIND diet, and the third group continues their normal routine while receiving basic health information. The MIND diet emphasizes foods that protect both the brain and heart, including lots of vegetables, berries, nuts, fish, and olive oil while limiting red meat and processed foods.

This study design is important because it allows researchers to separate the effects of diet alone from diet plus forest time. By having a control group that doesn’t change their habits, scientists can see if the interventions actually work better than doing nothing special.

This appears to be a well-designed study with a good sample size of 273 people and multiple measurement points over 12 weeks. However, since this is just the study protocol, we can’t yet judge the actual results or how well participants stuck to their assigned treatments.

What the Results Show

No results are available yet since this paper only describes the study plan, not the actual findings. The researchers will measure bad cholesterol levels at 4 weeks and 12 weeks to see which approach works best. They’re particularly interested in whether adding forest bathing to the MIND diet provides extra benefits beyond the diet alone.

The study will also track other important health measures including good cholesterol, blood sugar, blood pressure, waist size, body weight, anxiety levels, and overall mood. These additional measurements will help show whether the interventions affect overall health, not just cholesterol.

Previous studies on forest bathing and the MIND diet have shown promise, but most were small or poorly designed. This study aims to provide stronger evidence by using a larger group of people and comparing different approaches directly.

Since results aren’t available yet, we can only note potential limitations in the study design. The 12-week timeframe may not be long enough to see major changes, and it only includes people from Hong Kong, so results may not apply to other populations.

The Bottom Line

It’s too early to make specific recommendations since the study results aren’t available yet. However, both the MIND diet and spending time in nature are generally safe and have other proven health benefits, so there’s little harm in trying them while waiting for these results.

Adults over 50 with high cholesterol should pay attention to these future results, especially those interested in natural approaches to heart health. People who enjoy outdoor activities or are looking for diet alternatives to medication may find this research particularly relevant.

The study results should be available within the next 1-2 years. If positive, benefits from the MIND diet typically take 8-12 weeks to show up in blood tests, while stress-reduction effects from nature exposure may be felt more quickly.

Want to Apply This Research?

  • Track daily servings of MIND diet foods (leafy greens, berries, nuts, fish) and weekly time spent in natural outdoor settings
  • Start incorporating more MIND diet foods into meals and schedule regular outdoor time in parks or natural areas, even if just 20-30 minutes weekly
  • Log mood and stress levels along with diet and nature time to see personal patterns, and consider getting cholesterol checked every 3 months if implementing these changes

This research is still ongoing and results are not yet available. Do not make major changes to cholesterol medications or treatments without consulting your healthcare provider. The MIND diet and forest bathing are generally safe but should complement, not replace, medical care for high cholesterol.