DEMENTIA strikes someone new every three seconds.
By the time you’ve read this sentence, another person will be facing memory loss, confusion, and changes in behaviour.
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It’s a frightening thought, but new research suggests that eating partially healthy at a certain point in your life could help ward off the brain-eating disease.
According to scientists, maintaining a balanced diet in your 50s and 60s may significantly reduce the risk of developing dementia in later life.
A diet rich in fish, pulses, and vegetables – while limiting sugary treats – could potentially delay memory loss by up to 25 per cent.
British researchers from the University of Oxford found that following these eating habits between the ages of 48 and 70 can enhance brain activity in areas typically affected before a dementia diagnosis.
They urged the public to adopt “strategies to improve” their diet to help maintain brain structure and lower dementia risk.
The study, published in JAMA Network Open, also revealed that people with less fat around their waist during this time in life tended to have better memory and sharper thinking as they aged.
“The global shift toward unhealthy dietary habits is associated with an increase in the prevalence of diabetes, cardiovascular disease and obesity, all of which are known risk factors for dementia,” they wrote.
“It is important to consider the implications of overall diet and central obesity for memory and associated brain regions, such as the hippocampus.”
It’s not the first study to link diet to a reduced risk of dementia.
A recent study suggested that sticking to a Mediterranean diet could reduce dementia risk by up to 23 per cent, compared with people who rarely, if ever, ate the Mediterranean way.
Alzheimer’s Society says: “One of the reasons that the Mediterranean diet is thought to be beneficial is because it is high in antioxidants from fruits and vegetables.
“These may help to protect against some of the damage to brain cells associated with Alzheimer’s disease.
“Research has suggested that this may be beneficial to help maintain memory and thinking skills.”
For the current study, researchers tracked the dietary habits of 512 Brits over 11 years and assessed 664 people’s waist-to-hip ratio over a follow-up of 21 years.
Scans, including MRIs, and cognitive tests were done at the start of the study.
They were repeated when participants turned 70 to track progress and spot signs of cognitive decline.
The authors found that a healthier diet improved brain connectivity.
This was especially in the hippocampus, where memories are formed, and the occipital lobe, which processes what your eyes see.
Improvement in diet was also associated with better language skills, the researchers said.
Brain healthy foods
According to the British Heart Foundation’s (BHF) senior dietitian Victoria Taylor, eating heart healthy foods could also benefit your brain health.
That’s because having heart or circulatory disease can raise your risk of developing dementia.
She recommended eating the following foods:
- Wholegrains (three or more servings a day)
- Green leafy vegetables, such as spinach, cabbage, spring greens, kale and salad leaves (one or more servings a day)
- Other vegetables (one or more servings a day)
- Nuts (on most days)
- Beans and lentils (three or more servings a week)
- Berries, including blueberries and strawberries (two or more servings a week)
- Chicken or turkey (two or more servings a week)
- Fish (one or more servings a week)
- Olive oil (as the main oil or fat you use)
- Wine (no more than one small glass a day – more than this and it becomes more likely to harm health than help it)
