Brain Science:
So far we have talked about three pillars of brain health: stay moving, keep learning and resting and relaxing; now we are going to talk about how to feed your brain. There is endless confusion about the ideal way to fuel your body. Seems we are inundated with endless products that increase your brain health. Food supplements’ that boost brain activity are everywhere in the advertising world. We’d all like to think we can maintain our cognitive powers by popping pills. But for the most part these supplements are not backed by science. According to Gupta no known dietary substance improves memory or prevents cognitive decline. So we turn to more traditional strategies to bolster brain activity. According to Gupta, while no single food is the key to good brain health, a combination of healthy foods will help secure the brain against assault, and even reverse emerging Alzheimer’s symptoms. Epidemiological data (Health related observation data used to develop health related conclusions),clinical evidence, and animal studies show that Alzheimer’s disease may be prevented or slowed by making comprehensive lifestyle changes. Among those changes is diet.
The whole idea of preventing Alzheimer’s or even mitigating symptoms after a diagnosis is a twenty-first-century concept. Researchers at Harvard and other noted research organizations believe what you eat could very well be one of the most influential benefits to your brain health now and in the future.
Brain Facts:
· Studies in 2015 and followed up in 2018 have shown that people who stick to a Mediterranean–style diet enjoy greater brain volume as they age compared to their counterparts who don’t eat that way.
· Dr. Sarah Seidelman, a cardiologist and nutrition researcher at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, looked at the eating habits of more than 447,000 people around the world. Her conclusion, “everything in moderation”. We are all different, and getting to an ideal way of eating for you may be a little different than someone else. Strict diets that avoid entire food groups is not a good approach. Focus on what you should eat instead of what you should avoid.
· The typical western diet- high in salt, sugar, excess calories and saturated fats—is not brain friendly.
· Increasing fruit intake by just one serving a day has the estimated potential to reduce your risk of dying from cardiovascular events by 8 percent, the equivalent of 60,000 fewer deaths annually in the United States and 1.6 million deaths globally.
· In the 2017 AARP Brain Health and Nutrition survey, adults aged fifty and older who get the recommended amounts of fruits and vegetables in a typical day report significantly better brain health compared to those who do not get the recommended amount.
· Those who typically eat fish or other seafood every week report better brain health than those who never eat fish or seafood.
· A 2018 study conducted at UCLA found that people with mild memory problems who took 90 milligrams of curcumin twice daily for eighteen months experienced significant improvements in their memory and attention abilities.
· The mind diet! For healthy brain aging. Dr. Clare Morris published in 2015 her work and research on a diet for healthy brain aging. It is called the Mind diet because it is a combination of the Mediterranean and DASH( Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension). People in her studies who were in the highest third in terms of use of the mind diet had a 53 percent reduction in the risk of developing Alzheimer’s. Those in the middle third of scores enjoyed a 35% reduction in the risk of developing the disease. We may at some time study this diet a little further.
So What:
“The only way to keep your health is to eat what you don’t want, drink what you don’t like, do what you’d rather not.”- Mark Twain
“Hope Not!!!!”-Sam
· What we are doing here is to establish some kind of general framework for creating meals that satisfy your preferences while staying on a path that fosters brain health. Besides, if you worry too much about “eating right” you will raise your anxiety and increase cortisol levels which may be more dangerous than the benefits of a right diet!
· Nothing surprising here; thumbs up to vegetables, nuts, berries, beans, whole grains, fish, poultry, olive oil, wine; thumbs down to red meats, butter, cheese, pastries and other sweets, and fried or fast food.
· “I go out of my dietary lane from time to time and have no guilt when I do. Guilt is bad for the brain, and too much of it makes you lose your sharpness.”- Gupta
· The key is sticking to an overall plan. As Denny Atterson says (and Dr. Martha Clare Morris and Dr. Sara Seidelmann); everything in Moderation, moderation, moderation. ( In both directions)
Note: We are going to go on to the 5th pillar of brain health next but will return to talk about Alzheimer’s and diet and what intermittent fasting does in the brain.
Comments