There are many things that can help you exercise your brain and keep it healthy, but it is not so well known that your diet also plays a crucial role in reducing your risk of developing dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. A recent study showed that a specific diet, called the MIND diet, could reduce the risk of these diseases.
After extensive research, we gather the main nutritional elements that you should include in your diet plan for a strong brain and others that you should avoid.
Healthy foods for the brain
1. Berries are the number one fruit to consume.
Berries are rich in flavonoids, which are very beneficial for our brain. During a 20-year study with thousands of people who consumed several fruits, researchers found that those who ate mostly berries had the slowest rates of cognitive impairment. So add blueberries, strawberries and blueberries to your snacks; Your brain will thank you later.
2. Eat your vegetables, as our mothers used to say.
And they were absolutely right. Vegetables are good for our health on many levels, including the health of our brain, due to nutrients such as folic acid, flavonoids, vitamin E and carotenoids. Green leafy vegetables such as spinach, cabbage, lettuce and kale are the best options and have been shown to reduce the rate of brain aging. Therefore, do not forget to include a salad with your meal.
3. Make nuts your new snack.
Instead of processed snacks and sweets, choose a handful of raw or toasted nuts, which are high in vitamin E that helps our brains function. Due to its compounds, healthy fats, fiber and antioxidants, they help our overall health. You can also try mixing nuts and berries and making a brain impulse combo.
4. Use more olive oil, raw and in the kitchen.
If you know some things about the Mediterranean diet, then you know that olive oil is the number one ally for a good and healthy meal. Doctors advise limiting any other oil or butter and include olive oil, specifically extra virgin olive oil, to your diet, which acts as a protector for our brains against dementia.
5. Add fish to your table at least once a week.
Studies showed that people over 65 who constantly ate fish, scored better on memory tests compared to those who ate less or no fish, and prefer meat. Fish includes healthy fats, B-6 and B-12 that are beneficial to our brains. According to the MIND diet, once a week is enough.
Unhealthy Groups
1. Reduce meat, especially red meat, and get your protein from beans, lentils and soy.
You will be surprised how much protein our body can obtain from sources other than meat. Experts advise to reduce meat consumption as much as possible and get the protein that our brain needs from beans, lentils and soybeans, which are rich in protein and also contain a lot of fiber and vitamin B, which are necessary to maintain a healthy mind.
2. Limit butter, margarine and cheese (that’s hard, we know it!).
That is a difficult question for cheese lovers, but according to the MIND diet, cheese, especially the type of full fat, should be reduced if we want to reduce our risk of dementia. The same applies to butter and stick margarine: it is better to replace them with olive oil.
3. Sugar and salt are not friends of our brain.
If we want to improve our brain health, slow brain aging and reduce the risk of cognitive impairment, then we should definitely avoid sugar and sodium as much as possible. On the one hand, sweets and cakes damage our brains over time, because they can cause diabetes, which increases the risk of Alzheimer’s. On the other hand, salt increases blood pressure, which could cause a stroke and other brain problems.
Cheese can be delicious, but it is not very good for our brain. Do you have a nutrition plan to keep your body healthy? Share your eating habits with us in the comments.
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