More ideas for preventing dementia--Eat Healthy

Final thoughts for now, on ideas to help prevent or slow down dementia. A healthy diet throughout life plays a crucial role in optimal development, and in maintaining health. Previous dietary intervention studies have shown that dietary changes are involved in the prevention of many conditions that increase the risk of dementia, such as diabetes and Cardio Vascular Disease. Mechanistic and animal models have linked dietary factors to neuropathological changes in the development of dementia. Therefore, dietary factors may be involved in the development of dementia, both directly and through their role on other risk factors, and a healthy diet may have a great preventive potential for cognitive impairment.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the Mediterranean diet is the most extensively studied dietary approach, in general as well as in relation to cognitive function. Several systematic reviews of observational studies have concluded that high adherence to the Mediterranean diet is associated with decreased risk of Moderate Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer’s Disease, but modest adherence is not. Other promising dietary approaches associated with better cognitive function include dietary approaches to stop hypertension (DASH); and the brain health-specific Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND) diet.

Consumption of fruit and vegetables and fish are most consistently associated with decreased risk of dementia. Higher fish consumption has been linked to lower memory decline among healthy participants in many studies, as well as the intake of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) (fish-derived). Other foods and nutrients that have been associated with reduced risk of dementia or cognitive impairment are nuts, olive oil and coffee. Evidence has also been reported concerning folate, vitamin E, carotenes, vitamin C and vitamin D, but findings are inconsistent. For adults, the WHO guidelines recommend the following.

• Fruits, vegetables, legumes (e.g. lentils, beans), nuts and whole grains (e.g. unprocessed maize, millet, oats, wheat, brown rice).

• At least 400 g (five portions) of fruits and vegetables a day. Potatoes, sweet potatoes, cassava and other starchy roots are not classified as fruits or vegetables.

• Less than 10% of total energy intake from free sugars which is equivalent to 50 g (or around 12 level teaspoons) for a person of healthy body weight consuming approximately 2000 calories per day, but ideally less than 5% of total energy intake for additional health benefits. Most free sugars are added to foods or drinks by the manufacturer, cook or consumer, and can also be found in sugars naturally present in honey, syrups, fruit juices and fruit juice concentrates.

• Less than 30% of total energy intake from fats. Unsaturated fats (found in fish, avocado, nuts, sunflower, canola and olive oils) are preferable to saturated fats (found in fatty meat, butter, palm and coconut oil, cream, cheese, ghee and lard) and trans-fats of all kinds, including both industrially-produced trans-fats (found in processed food, fast food, snack food, fried food, frozen pizza, pies, cookies, biscuits, wafers, margarines and spreads) and ruminant trans-fats (found in meat and dairy foods from ruminant animals, such as cows, sheep, goats, camels and others). It is suggested to reduce the intake of saturated fats to less than 10% of total energy intake and trans-fats to less than 1% of total energy intake. In particular, industrially-produced trans-fats are not part of a healthy diet and should be avoided.

• Less than 5 g of salt (equivalent to approximately 1 teaspoon) per day and use iodized salt.