You can help keep your brain healthy with these 6 foods — plus a dose
of sunshine
by Michael
Haederle, AARP, March 23, 2012
The food you eat may have a lot to do with the health of your brain as
you age, according to the latest nutritional research.
People in their late 80s with higher blood levels of B, C, D and E
vitamins and omega-3 fatty acids (found in good fats) did better on cognitive
tests and had less of the brain shrinkage typical of Alzheimer’s disease, according
to a recent study led by Gene Bowman, a scientist at Oregon Health and Science
University (OHSU) in Portland.
A University of Miami study found that individuals who ate a
Mediterranean diet, including vegetables, fruits, small amounts of meat and fish,
whole grains, nuts and olive oil, had less small blood-vessel damage in the
brain. Other studies have highlighted the apparent dementia-fighting benefits
of leafy greens and vegetables like cabbage and cauliflower.
What you don’t eat matters, too. Artery-clogging trans fats are a clear
no-no, and a recent Mayo Clinic study found that eating fewer than 2,150
calories a day was linked to better brain health.
Simply popping vitamin pills probably won’t protect the brain, says
Bowman. “There are hundreds or thousands of different molecules in foods we
eat,” he says, so it’s likely that eating a balanced diet is key to staving off
dementia.
Mary Ann Johnson, a University of Georgia nutrition scientist and
spokesperson for the American Society for Nutrition, agrees. “It really
reinforces how fundamental healthy eating is to our well-being,” she says.
Further research is needed to confirm the diet/brain health link. In
the meantime, consider eating more of the following foods to help protect your
brain:
1. Get full o’ beans
Beans and green peas provide a rich dietary source of B-complex
vitamins (plus, they provide plenty of protein and fiber). Vitamin B-1
(thiamine), which may affect blood sugar levels, and folic acid, which is
important for a healthy nervous system, are often found in enriched grain
products and cereals. But older adults should consider taking B-12 supplements,
Johnson says, especially if they are among the one-third of people who have
been infected with a bug that can cause ulcers, because the infection limits
the stomach’s ability to extract B-12 from food. Meat, poultry, fish, dairy and
fortified cereals are also excellent B-12 sources.
A 2010 University of Oxford
study, meanwhile, found that people diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment
who took a supplement containing folic acid and vitamins B-6 and B-12 for two
years lowered their levels of homocysteine, an amino acid that has been linked
to Alzheimer’s disease, and showed less brain shrinkage than those receiving
dummy pills.
2. Don’t forget citrus
Oranges and orange juice are a convenient and inexpensive source of
ascorbic acid (aka vitamin C), as are tangerines, limes, lemons and other
citrus fruits. Surprisingly, sweet peppers, strawberries, cantaloupes,
tomatoes, broccoli, leafy greens, lettuce and cabbage also can raise your C
level. People who are taking prescription medications should avoid grapefruit
juice, nutritionists and other health experts caution, because it may
unpredictably alter the effects of many drugs.
Vitamin C is an antioxidant, essential for healthy skin and blood
vessel functioning — but its benefits may run deeper. Last summer, Swedish
scientists at Lund University reported that in laboratory mice, vitamin C
actually dissolves toxic plaques of the kind that accumulate in the brains of
human Alzheimer’s patients. That followed on a 2004 Johns Hopkins University
study showing that men and women who took multivitamins containing vitamins C
and E were less likely to develop Alzheimer’s. A 2009 Harvard Medical School
study also found a possible protective effect for the brain from long-term
vitamin C use in a study of 2,824 women.
3. Add in some almonds
Vitamin E is an antioxidant that works on a molecular level to promote
healthy blood vessels.
Given the brain’s craving for oxygen-rich blood, it’s easy to see why E
is such an important part of a brain-healthy diet — and studies have shown that
people with the highest blood levels of Vitamin E have a reduced risk of
developing Alzheimer’s.
Vitamin E occurs naturally in almonds, other nuts and avocados, but the
most common sources are healthy vegetable oils, like olive, canola and
sunflower. Some green vegetables, like spinach, broccoli and collards, also
provide this nutrient.
But it’s important to get your vitamin E from food, and avoid
mega-doses from supplements, because some studies have tied high-dose
supplements to serious medical conditions, such as prostate cancer. “In foods,
there are at least eight different chemical forms of vitamin E,” Johnson says.
“We think they all do something a little different.”
4. Go fishin’
Scientists have conducted thousands of studies of omega-3 fatty acids
in recent decades. These polyunsaturated “healthy fats” reduce inflammation in
the body and seem to help the heart function.
UCLA scientists who took blood samples and performed MRI scans on 1,575
people recently reported that people with lower omega-3 levels in their red
blood had more brain shrinkage and poorer performance on memory tests. Bowman
thinks omega-3s help prevent a type of dementia that is driven by blood vessel
disease by healing the blood vessels themselves.
The best dietary sources are oily cold-water fish, such as salmon,
herring and mackerel, eaten once or twice a week, Johnson says. Those who don’t
eat fish should consult their doctor about whether to take fish-oil
supplements, because fish oil also acts as a blood thinner, she says. People
typically are advised take one to three fish-oil capsules per day.
5. Savor spinach
Popeye’s favorite snack is a winner in the Dark Leafy Green category.
It’s rich in vitamins A and K, folic acid and iron, plus it’s
versatile: It can be eaten raw in salads, baked, steamed or stir-fried. Spinach
is also packed with at least 15 different antioxidant compounds known as flavonoids,
which have been shown to inhibit the formation of the beta-amyloid plaques that
build up in those with Alzheimer’s disease.
Harvard researchers reported in 2005 that women in the long-running
Nurses’ Health Study who ate eight servings of green, leafy vegetables a week
(along with five servings of cruciferous vegetables, such as cabbage, broccoli
or kale) showed less cognitive decline than those who ate less. It wasn’t
clear, however, whether that was due to the greens themselves or to other factors,
such as the wholesale substitution of vegetables for fatty foods.
6. Coffee craving
Java addicts everywhere likely rejoiced at word of the 2009 University
of South Florida study showing that caffeinated coffee decreased blood levels
of a plaque-forming protein and even reduced Alzheimer’s-like cognitive
impairment — in genetically altered mice.
Decaf did not have the same benefits, however. The Florida scientists
also showed that beta-amyloid protein levels dropped in elderly people without
dementia after they were given caffeine.
7. Get some sun
Fat-soluble vitamin D plays a vital role in regulating our immune
system and how our cells use calcium, so its effects are felt throughout the
body – including the brain.
UCLA scientists have found that when paired with curcumin, the active
ingredient in the spice turmeric, vitamin D may help trigger the immune system
to clear Alzheimer’s plaques in brain tissue. Salmon, sardines, eggs and
fortified foods like milk and soy products are good dietary sources for this
important nutrient.
Our bodies make D naturally whenever our skin is exposed to sunlight,
but this ability declines as we age, so many older people are vitamin
D-deficient. Just 15 minutes of bathing sunscreen-free arms and legs in the sun
a few times a week generates plenty of the vitamin.
If you can’t spend a little time in the sun, nutritionists suggest a
vitamin D supplement: 600 to 800 international units (I.U.) a day will suffice
for most people, but your doctor may recommend 1,000, 2,000 or even 4,000 I.U. per day, Johnson says. Vitamin D3 (also
known as cholecalciferol) is the most common supplement, but vegans can benefit
from plant-derived Vitamin D2.
http://www.aarp.org/health/healthy-living/info-03-2012/foods-may-lower-dementia-risk-slideshow.8.html
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