9 Best Foods to Boost Your Brain, Memory, and Cognition

Studies show that following the MIND diet, even moderately, can have significant effects.

 

You already know eating certain foods can help you lose weight and lower your risk for diabetes and heart disease, but following a healthy diet can also keep your brain sharp. The foods you eat impact neurological health in many ways.  They include effects on insulin resistance, detoxification, and systemic inflammation—and provide critical vitamins, says Dale E. Bredesen, M.D., a neurologist.  He has authored the book The End of Alzheimer’s Program, which has a whole section devoted to foods that help prevent cognitive decline. The trick is to find an eating style that optimizes your brainpower and is sustainable.

The search for an answer

Scientists are working hard to try to solve this puzzle and discover how we can use nutrition to enhance our cognition. For instance, a 2015 study published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia found that the MIND diet can turn back the time on your cognitive age by 7 ½ years. This acronym is short for Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay.  The MIND diet combines the best of the Mediterranean and DASH diets, locking in the parts of each associated with dementia protection. “Good fats, such as olive oil, and vegetables (which include high folate and crucifers for detoxification) are brain-healthy components of the Mediterranean diet,” says Dr. Bredesen. “Meanwhile, vegetables and wild-caught fish that are low in mercury are both brain-healthy components of the DASH diet.

The Diets Compared

The team of researchers behind the 2015 study followed over 900 men and women ages 58 to 98 for an average of 4 1⁄2 years.  They assessed their diets and tested their cognitive function annually. They scored participants’ diets by how closely they matched the Mediterranean, DASH, or MIND eating patterns. The DASH diet reduced Alzheimer’s disease (AD) risk by 39%, the MIND diet by 53%, and the Mediterranean diet by 54%. But hold on—when participants followed the diets moderately well, rather than to the letter, only the MIND diet returned significant results. It reduced AD risk by 53% in those who followed it very closely, and by 35% in those who followed it reasonably well. What this means is that strict adherence to the DASH and Mediterranean diets may reduce AD risk, but so might moderate adherence to the MIND diet.

Some Differences

Those with the highest MIND diet scores ate cheese and fried or fast food less than once a week, red meat less than four times a week, and desserts, pastries, or sweets less than five times a week. They also used less than a tablespoon of butter or margarine a day and made olive oil their main source of fat. Translation: It’s not enough to eat the brain-friendly foods; to help lower your AD risk, it’s necessary to limit these less-healthy groups as well.

For people who really want to take things to the next level, Dr. Bredesen recommends following a diet that supports ketosis, which studies show can boost cognition. His very low-carbohydrate KetoFlex 12/3 diet is primarily plant-based and requires you to eat all your food within a 12-hour window every day and stop eating three hours before you go to bed. If that sounds like too much of a stretch for you, do whatever you can to limit your intake of processed foods, red meat, and added sugar while prioritizing brain-healthy foods. Pair the all-stars below with one veggie serving of your choice every day, and you’re on your way to better brainpower.

1 BERRIES

Weekly servings to aim for: 2

One serving equals: 1 ⁄2 cup

Research shows that berries help improve signaling in the brain, most likely due to their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

2 GREEN LEAFY VEGETABLES

Weekly servings to aim for: 6

One serving equals: 1 cup cooked, 2 cups raw

“Foods high in folate (such as leafy greens) reduce homocysteine, thus reducing risk for Alzheimer’s,” says Dr. Bredesen. Meanwhile, “cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli and Brussels sprouts support detoxification,” he adds.

3 BEANS

Weekly servings to aim for: at least 3

One serving equals: 1 ⁄2 cup cooked

Beans are packed with fiber, which research has linked to enhanced cognition.

4 WHOLE GRAINS

Daily servings to aim for: at least 3

One serving equals: 1 ⁄2 cup cooked whole grain, 100% whole grain pasta, or 100% whole grain hot cereal; 1 slice 100% whole grain bread; 1 cup 100% whole grain ready-to-eat cereal

Dr. Bredesen suggests trying to avoid simple carbohydrates (like white rice or pasta). “They are associated with metabolic syndrome, which in turn increases risk for Alzheimer’s disease,” he says.

5 POULTRY

Weekly servings to aim for: 2 or more

One serving equals: 3 ounces

If you eat meat, poultry is a much healthier option than red meat. It’s leaner and has less saturated fat.

6 FISH

Weekly servings to aim for: 1

One serving equals: 3 to 4 ounces

Salmon is an especially smart choice as it’s rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which research shows may lower your risk of Alzheimer’s disease.

7 NUTS

Weekly servings to aim for: 5

One serving equals: a small handful (1.5 ounces) of nuts or 2 tablespoons of nut butter

Nuts are high in polyphenols, which have been shown to reduce a person’s risk of developing dementia.

8 OLIVE OIL

Weekly servings to aim for: The MIND diet doesn’t set a quota for olive oil; just use it in place of other oils and butter, and splurge on the extra-virgin variety.

Olive oil is rich in healthy monounsaturated fat. “A low-carbohydrate diet that’s high in good fats (such as polyunsaturates and monounsaturates) promotes ketosis, which supports brain function,” says Dr. Bredesen.

9 OPTIONAL: ALCOHOL/WINE

Daily servings to aim for (if you already imbibe): up to 1 drink per day for women, 2 for men (no more!)

One serving equals: 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, OR 1.5 ounces (1 shot) of 80-proof spirits

Source: Written by  kaitlyn pirie for Woman’s Day©

Photo credit: _{EKATERINA SMIRNOVA & WESTEND61 GETTY IMAGES}

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