What Should You Eat for Better Brain Health?
Doing puzzles, playing memory-boosting games, taking classes, and reading are activities that we often turn to for help keeping our brains sharp. But more and more, research is showing that what you eat, how often you exercise, and the type of exercise you do can help lower your risk of dementia to a greater extent than previously thought. Although more studies are needed, “there’s a lot of data that suggests exercise and diet are good for the brain and can prevent or help slow down [cognitive changes],” says Jeffrey Burns, MD, co-director of the University of Kansas Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center in Fairway. And living a healthy lifestyle can produce brain benefits no matter what your age.
The Big Diet Picture: If you’re already eating in a way that protects your heart—plenty of whole grains, vegetables, and fruit, and little saturated fat, sodium, and ultra-processed “junk” foods—there’s good news: You’re also protecting your brain. A healthy cardiovascular system keeps blood vessels open, allowing good blood flow to the brain and reducing the risk of high blood pressure, stroke, and dementia.
Research suggests that two specific dietary approaches, the Mediterranean diet and the MIND diet (the Mediterranean-DASH Diet Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay—essentially a combo of two heart-healthy eating plans), may help stave off cognitive decline. In both diets, you eat mostly plant foods (fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts), olive oil, fish, and poultry. The main difference between the two is that the MIND diet emphasizes specific fruits and vegetables, such as berries and leafy greens.
Excerpted from Consumer Reports
