There is growing evidence to suggest that eating a healthy diet in midlife is associated with a decreased risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease in later life.

Whilst it’s easy to see how smoking can result in damage to the brain, it’s less obvious to see how food can make that much of a difference. However, some scientists claim that when it comes to dementia, it really is a case of ‘you are what you eat’, and that making the wrong diet choices could raise your chances of developing dementia and Alzheimer’s disease by a significant margin.

Are Carbs the Enemy?

According to the neuroscientist, Dr David Perlmutter, carbohydrates can speed up deterioration in the brain, regardless of whether they’re white or wholegrain. In his book, The Grain Brain, he asserts that foods high in carbohydrates cause our blood sugar levels to spike quickly. This rapid increase actually results in inflammation occurring in the body, which is bad news for our brain cells.

Additionally, research has discovered a link between high intake of carbohydrates and dementia. A study featured in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease revealed that elderly people who consumed a lot of carbs were as much as three times more likely to experience mild cognitive difficulties, which in turn, is linked to dementia.

The Mediterranean Diet

The same study also found that those who consumed a lot of ‘good fats’ such as those found in healthy oils and unsalted nuts, were as much as 42% less likely to experience any cognitive impairment. Likewise, those who ate a lot of protein, such as meat and fish, were 21% less at risk of developing dementia.

As additional evidence that this type of diet can be beneficial for your brain, the NHS highlight a study, which featured 482 participants, all with mild cognitive impairment. The research demonstrated that a typically Mediterranean diet, rich in legumes, fruits, vegetables and fish, but low in meat and dairy, was linked to a lower risk of developing dementia. High levels of antioxidants from a high intake of fruits and vegetables in a typical Mediterranean diet may help to protect against some of the damage to brain cells associated with Alzheimer’s disease as well as increasing the levels of proteins in the brain that protect brain cells from this damage. There are suggestions that the diet reduces the signs of inflammation in the brain.

If you would like to read about the link between diet and dementia, please click on the link to the Alzheimer’s Society website.

 

It’s Not What You Eat, But the Way That You Cook It?

Scientists in New York also suggest that the way in which you prepare your food can have a detrimental impact on its effect on the body. They investigated the effects of frying or barbequing, claiming that cooking at high temperatures increased the amount of advanced glycation end products -known as AGEs – present in the foods, which can speed up cognitive decline.

Commenting on the study, Professor Derek Hill from University London, says: ‘There is a great deal of public interest in the way that diet can cause, or prevent, serious diseases in older life. Some of the proposed “bad guys” in the diet are AGEs, which are present in especially high quantities in meat that is cooked by frying or grilling. The results are compelling. But this study should be seen as encouraging further work, rather than providing definitive answers.’

The Magic Formula for Reducing Risk of Dementia

Ultimately, there is plenty you can do to help reduce your risk of developing dementia. By making the right lifestyle choices in terms of diet, exercise, stopping smoking and limiting alcohol consumption, you’ll be giving yourself the best chance possible to stay mentally fit as you grow older.

To read more about a new study into how diet can reduce your risk of dementia, please click on this link to the Express.

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