To keep your heart pumping and your lungs breathing, to let you move and feel and think, your brain is your body's nerve center. Considering its importance, it's wise to do everything you can to keep your brain in tip-top shape. Unfortunately, though, the brain ages along with the rest of the body.
Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), Huntington's disease (HD), and frontotemporal lobar dementia (FTD) are only a few examples of neurodegenerative diseases or brain disorders that have been linked to aging (FTD). The good news is that your diet can help protect your brain from degenerative diseases associated with aging.
Here we'll take a look at five examples of foods that have been shown to reduce your risk of developing dementia in old life.
1. Fatty fish
Healthline reports that fish high in omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon, tuna, herring, and sardines, are good for the brain. Omega-3 fatty acids have been demonstrated to protect against Alzheimer's disease and reduce the effects of aging on the brain. Moreover, consuming fatty fish has been shown to enhance cognitive function, including memory and learning.
2. Black cocoa
There are a number of chemicals in dark chocolate and cocoa powder that have been shown to improve cognitive function. Flavonoids, which are abundant in dark chocolate, have been linked to improved memory and reduced cognitive decline with age. This may be helpful for warding off neurological problems down the road.
Healthline reports that nut consumption is associated with a much lower chance of developing dementia in old age. For instance, one study indicated that older persons who ate nuts on a daily basis had a reduced risk of cognitive impairment. Vitamin E, which is present in nuts, is an antioxidant that has been shown to prevent free-radical damage to the brain and reduce mental decline.
You can get all the vitamin C you need for the day from a medium-sized orange, which is great news given that vitamin C's protective effect against cognitive loss with age has been well-documented. Also, vitamin C helps maintain brain function into old age, and it may even ward off mental health issues like depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, and even Alzheimer's.
Vitamins B6 and B12, folate, and choline are just few of the many elements found in eggs that are beneficial to brain function. The high levels of vitamin B in eggs have been shown to reduce the onset of cognitive decline in the elderly by reducing levels of homocysteine, an amino acid that has been associated to dementia and Alzheimer's disease.
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