2024-08-12 10:51:41
François Lehn, science/health journalist and author for 20 years, renowned “feather” and assistant to Professor David Selvan-Schreiber.
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Diet plays a vital role in brain health at all stages of life. Although research on this topic is still ongoing, many studies suggest that certain diets can actually help preserve your cognitive abilities in the long term. Learn about the 4 best diets for brain health.
The importance of diet for brain health
Our eating habits have a huge impact on our overall health, from heart health to sleep, mood and weight. There is growing scientific evidence that A balanced and nutritious diet can also play a protective role against neurodegenerative diseases. Includes cognitive decline and dementia. In fact, certain healthy diets are even linked to a longer life. Experts believe that some Key micronutrients such as B vitamins, iron, and antioxidants may have neuroprotective properties and promote cognitive functions such as thinking, learning, and memory.
When should you start developing better eating habits?
Unfortunately, many adults don’t have the opportunity to develop healthy eating habits from an early age. The consequences of a nutritionally poor diet are often felt as people approach middle age, when chronic health problems such as obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes or sleep disorders develop.
However, experts stress that it’s never too late to make changes to your eating habits to support and improve health and reduce symptoms of chronic disease. Diet can be a constant factor in our health. Cognitive health is one of the many positive outcomes of a healthy diet. It’s never too late to start.
Of course, many factors play a role in the diagnosis of dementia and cognitive decline, but Diet is one of the few modifiable factors in our lifestyle that can have a beneficial impact on our health. No matter how old we are. Therefore, changing your current eating habits can help reduce your risk of cognitive problems later in life.
4 foods that are most protective for your brain
Some of the best diets for overall health over the years include the Mediterranean diet and the DASH diet. However, the MIND diet specifically targets the aging brain. One study also showed that participants who followed this diet had a 53% lower incidence of Alzheimer’s disease compared to participants who followed a Mediterranean diet.
Here are 4 of the most brain-protective diets:
1.Mediterranean diet
This diet is rich in plant-based foods and healthy fats, with an emphasis on fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, nuts and olive oil. It also promotes moderate consumption of fish and dairy products.
2. Nordic diet
Inspired by the culinary traditions of the Scandinavian countries, this diet emphasizes local foods such as fruits, vegetables and seafood.
3.DASH diet
This diet is designed to lower blood pressure and emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein.
4. MIND diet
This diet focuses specifically on brain health, emphasizing plant foods, nuts, fruits, green vegetables, whole grains, seafood, and poultry.
How to protect your brain by following the MIND diet
To get the most out of the MIND diet and support your brain health, follow these tips:
Eat at least 3 servings of whole grains per day Eat at least 1 serving of vegetables per day Eat at least 6 servings of green vegetables per week Eat at least 5 servings of green vegetables per week Eat at least 3 servings of nuts per week Eat at least 2 servings of beans per meal Eat at least 2 servings of poultry per week Eat at least 1 meal per week of fish meal, use olive oil as added fat if necessary
You can try incorporating these foods more into your favorite recipes or adding them to your plate more often.
Importance of nutrition throughout life
Although more research is needed to fully understand how your diet affects your cognitive health throughout your life, there is good evidence that eating plenty of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains can help your long-term health.
According to the latest research published at NUTRITION 2024, the annual meeting of the American Nutrition Society, People who had a higher quality diet in early life had significantly better cognitive abilities at age 60 and 70 than those who had a lower quality diet.
This first-of-its-kind study analyzed data from more than 3,000 participants over nearly 70 years, showing how much our diet in childhood and adulthood affects our cognition later in life. Unlike most other studies on this topic that focus on the quality of participants’ diet later in life, the new study is the first to examine diet and cognitive abilities across the lifespan.
So no matter your age, there’s always time to improve your eating habits to support your long-term brain health. Start incorporating more healthy foods into your diet now and reap the cognitive benefits.
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