Feeding Your Body, Feeding Your Brain, Part II
Diet and Dementia Risk
Food may not be the first thing that comes to your mind when you think about reducing your risk of dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. However, what you eat has an enormous impact not only on your weight, heart health, and cancer risks, but also on your mood, your mental abilities, and your risk of developing dementia. Research shows that a plant-based diet that contains abundant fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and whole grains—with limited amounts of animal products—is best for cognitive fitness. Another benefit to a plant-based diet is that it can help with weight loss, and obesity is a risk factor for dementia.
There is even a diet called MIND, developed by Rush University nutritional epidemiologist Martha Clare Morris, ScD, and her colleagues. The MIND diet combines elements of the Mediterranean diet and the DASH diet, which reduces high blood pressure (DASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, and MIND stands for Mediterranean-DASH Diet Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay).
Why does the MIND diet work?
We do not know for sure, but the brain-healthy foods contain antioxidants, Omega-3s, vitamin E, folate, flavonoids, and carotenoids, which work to fight inflammation and prohibit amyloid deposits, both of which are thought to be connected to neurodegenerative disease. Focusing on an overall healthy eating pattern that includes these nutrients from foods is important for good health. Get these nutrients from a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, protein foods, and healthy fats, including:
- Berries, including strawberries and blueberries, citrus fruits, grapes, and watermelon
- Dark, leafy greens such as spinach, kale, collard greens, and broccoli
- Whole-wheat bread, oats, quinoa, and other whole grains
- Seafood, including shellfish, and fish such as salmon, mackerel, tuna, sardines, and herring
- Nuts and seeds such as chia, flaxseed, walnuts, and almonds
- Beans and lentils, including chickpeas, black beans, and lima beans
- Whole eggs, skinless chicken, and turkey
- Sources of unsaturated fat such as avocados and olive oil
Remember: While making healthful food choices is a vital part of a healthy lifestyle, other important factors that contribute to overall health include getting enough sleep, managing stress, staying hydrated, and adding regular physical activity (what is safe for you) to your daily routine.
Adapted from Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and hebrewseniorlife.org and prepared by Rachel A. Mischler, RD, CDN. If you wish to speak to Rachel with any questions or nutritional concerns, please contact her at 607-744-0245.