Think of blueberries as a brain's best friend. A new study from the Rush University Medical Center found that sticking to what is known as the MIND diet can slow cognitive decline and may reduce a person's risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. The diet essentially follows a Mediterranean diet, said a press release on the study.
The study found that older adults who followed the program rigorously showed an equivalent of being 7.5 years younger cognitively than those who followed the diet least. The results of the study were published in the online journal Alzheimer's & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association.
The National Institute of Aging-funded study evaluated cognitive change among 960 older adults (average age was 81.4 years) who were free of dementia at the study's start. The subjects were followed for 4.7 years. During the study, they received annual, standardized testing for cognitive ability in five areas. The study group also completed annual food frequency questionnaires, allowing the researchers to compare participants' reported adherence to the MIND diet with changes in their cognitive abilities as measured by the tests.
The MIND diet is a hybrid of the Mediterranean and DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diets. Both diets have been found to reduce the risk of cardiovascular conditions, like hypertension, heart attack and stroke.
"Everyone experiences decline with aging; and Alzheimer's disease is now the sixth leading cause of death in the U.S., which accounts for 60 to 80 percent of dementia cases. Therefore, prevention of cognitive decline, the defining feature of dementia, is now more important than ever," said researcher Martha Clare Morris, ScD, a nutritional epidemiologist who, with colleagues, developed the diet. "Delaying dementia's onset by just five years can reduce the cost and prevalence by nearly half," she said in a press release.
The MIND diet has 10 brain-healthy food groups and five unhealthy groups -- red meat, butter and stick margarine, cheese, pastries and sweets, and fried or fast food.
To benefit from the MIND diet, a person must eat at least three servings of whole grains, a green leafy vegetable and one other vegetable every day, a glass of wine; snack most days on nuts, have beans every other day or so, eat poultry and berries at least twice a week and fish at least once a week. In addition, the study found that to have a real shot at avoiding the devastating effects of cognitive decline, he or she must limit intake of the designated unhealthy foods, especially butter (less than 1 tablespoon a day), sweets and pastries, whole fat cheese, and fried or fast food (less than a serving a week for any of the three).
Berries were the only fruit specifically to be included in the MIND diet. "Blueberries are one of the more potent foods in terms of protecting the brain," Morris said. Strawberries also have performed well in past studies of the effect of food on cognitive function.
Another study from the Salk Institute for Biological Studies found that fisetin, a flavonol found in strawberries, mangoes, cucumber, and other fruits and vegetables, may protect the brain against Alzheimer’s, dementia, and age-related memory loss. That study, however, was performed on mice.
What you eat and how that impacts your cognitive abilities long-term has been a ripe topic for scientists. Multiple studies have connected eating strawberries and blueberries with slowing age-related mental decline. Regular consumption of the fruits were found to slow cognitive aging by up to 2.5 years, according to a Harvard study.
Avocados: Middle Whittler
It may sound counterintuitive, but slimming down by eating fat—there's nearly 30 grams in an avocado—is an idea that's steadily gaining traction. A small study in Nutrition Journal revealed that overweight people who included half an avocado in their midday meal reported greater satiety three hours later. Researchers also noted that avocado reduced spikes of insulin—a hormone that can promote fat storage, possibly making it harder for you to lose weight.
Whole Wheat Pasta: Stroke Stopper
It should come as no surprise that I'm a fan of fiber. I consider it an absolute powerhouse for heart health, so I was excited to come across a report that found that increasing fiber intake by just seven grams a day—the amount in roughly 11/2 cups of whole wheat pasta—was associated with a 7 percent reduction in stroke risk.
Walnuts: Memory Booster
Make room, almonds. A new study in the Journal of Nutrition, Health & Aging found that subjects ages 20 to 59 who ate an average of five walnut halves daily performed significantly better on cognitive tests (memorizing a series of symbols and numbers) than those who didn't eat them. The brain-boosting effects may come from the nut's high levels of antioxidants and omega-3s.
Tea: Cancer Fighter
I'm recommending black tea to all my female friends. Why? Recent research, which pooled data from more than 170,000 women in Harvard University's Nurses' Health Studies, discovered that drinking more than a cup a day was associated with a 31 percent reduction in ovarian cancer risk. Black tea is rich in flavonols, which may inhibit the development of cancer cells.
Fuente: www.huffingtonpost.com
