What are a few methods to maintain cognitive health?

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Evidence is now accumulating that supports a link between diet and brain processes such as our thinking, or cognitive, skills. Specific nutrients in food, such as omega-3 fatty acids, flavonoids, vitamins B, D, and E, and choline, have been associated with improved cognitive function in older people. Such dietary factors can affect the way our brain cells communicate, and this may be the reason for the effects on cognitive function.

What is in which foods?

These are examples of foods in which these nutrients are found:

1. Omega-3 fatty acids (healthy fats that may support your heart health) are in salmon, kiwi, and walnuts.

2. Flavonoids (natural plant chemicals that act as antioxidants) are in citrus fruit, dark chocolate, and wine.

3. Vitamin D is found in oily fish, egg yolks, and milk. Some breakfast cereals are fortified with this vitamin.

4. Vitamin E is in olive oil, nuts, seeds, and wheat germ.

5. Choline is in eggs, dairy products, nuts, cod, prawns, and canned salmon.

6. Dietary patterns

More recently, researchers have been interested in the effects of dietary patterns rather than specific food components and their nutrients. One dietary pattern that has repeatedly shown positive effects on health is the Mediterranean diet, which is traditional in olive-growing regions of the Mediterranean. In the 1960s, people from these regions had a very high life expectancy and low rates of coronary heart disease and certain cancers.

The diet is characterized by:

1. High intake of fruit, vegetables, cereals, or cereal-based foods (for example, wheat, oats, corn, and rice), and legumes (for example, peas, beans, and lentils).

2. Moderate intake of alcohol (usually wine) and fish.

3. Low-to-moderate intake of dairy products.

4. Low intake of meat (red and poultry).

5. A high monounsaturated to saturated fat ratio can be achieved through high consumption of olive oil rather than other fats.

6. This diet helps avoid high levels of saturated fat as it is not rich in components such as butter, other dairy products, palm oil, or meat.

While the general health benefits of this diet are already recognized, research also indicates that increased adherence to a Mediterranean diet (Mediterranean diet includes lots of healthy foods like whole grains, fruits, vegetables, seafood, beans, and nuts.) is associated with better cognitive functioning in old age and a lower risk of dementia (impaired ability to remember, think, or make decisions that interfere with doing everyday activities) and Alzheimer’s disease (brain condition that causes a progressive decline in memory, thinking, learning, and organizing skills). This is emerging from studies that measure people’s typical food intake at the start of the study and measure their cognitive function at the beginning and then on subsequent occasions over some time. This enables the measurement of changes in their cognitive function over time.

I hope this information will help you.

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