Dietary Patterns and Cognitive Aging
 

    The things you eat and your overall diet can affect how your brain works and stays healthy. Eating healthy foods can help protect against memory problems and conditions like dementia. Researchers have found that eating more nutritious foods can be a powerful way to reduce the risk of cognitive decline. Regardless of a person's race or income, better diet quality is linked to improved cognitive abilities, especially in areas like remembering information and memory. It is not just about individual nutrients, but having a balanced diet as a whole that benefits brain health. Some specific eating patterns that may be more beneficial than just focusing on individual foods or food groups are the Mediterranean diet, the Nordic Diet, and the DASH Diet.

    The Mediterranean diet is followed by people in countries like Greece, Spain, France, Italy, Egypt, Algeria, and Libya. It involves eating lots of unprocessed carbohydrates, cheese, yogurt, fruits, and vegetables. Chicken, fish, and eggs are consumed a few times a week, while red meat is limited to a few times a month. The diet includes healthy fats, mainly from olive oil. Studies have shown that this diet is linked to a lower risk of cognitive decline, a lower prevalence of dementia and depression, and a reduced risk of Alzheimer's disease. Research has also shown that people on the Mediterranean diet had better cognitive function compared to those on a different diet.

    The Nordic Diet is based on the types of food consumed in Scandinavian countries. It focuses on foods like fruits, vegetables, fish, canola oil, and certain types of meat. A study conducted over four years on individuals with normal cognition found that those who followed the Nordic Diet guidelines had improved cognitive functioning compared to their baseline levels.

    The DASH Diet emphasizes low sodium content and smaller portion sizes, which offer significant health benefits. This diet has been shown to improve cardiovascular health and has greater benefits for individuals at a higher risk of heart problems. The MIND diet, which combines elements of the Mediterranean diet and the DASH diet, is specifically designed to promote brain health. It includes foods rich in antioxidants to enhance cognition, green leafy vegetables to prevent cognitive decline, blueberries to improve memory, and fish for their cognitive benefits due to the presence of EPA and DHA.

    Asian plant-based dietary patterns focus on foods like whole grains, soy, green leafy vegetables, green tea, mushrooms, and seaweed. Strong evidence suggests that these eating patterns are associated with a lower risk of cognitive problems, slower cognitive decline, and better memory and overall cognitive abilities.

    For better cognitive function, having a balanced diet that includes various foods is the foundation of nutrients from healthy foods for the brain. Taking dietary supplements can be beneficial, however, nutrition can be better provided by nature through foods, not by pills.

Reference: Otsuka R. Diet, nutrition, and cognitive function: A narrative review of Japanese longitudinal studies. Geriatr Gerontol Int. 2022 Oct;22(10):825-831. doi: 10.1111/ggi.14463. Epub 2022 Aug 24. PMID: 36002912; PMCID: PMC9805113.

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