Would you like to reduce your risk of cognitive impairment, Alzheimer’s disease, and dementia? Researchers from around the world have been studying a variety of different factors that might reduce these risks and keep the brain healthy.
Old news: The Mediterranean diet is beneficial
- fish
- olive oil
- avocados
- fruits
- vegetables
- nuts
- beans
- whole grains
- red wine in moderation.
For example, one study published in 2015 and updated in 2018 compared healthy older adults who followed a Mediterranean diet with extra olive oil or extra nuts versus a control reduced-fat diet. The enhanced Mediterranean diet groups fared equally well, and both had better cognitive performance outcomes than the reduced-fat diet group. No study, however, has been able to determine the critical components of the Mediterranean diet that makes it so good for your brain — until now.
The new study
Cognitive impairment versus cognitive decline
- Cognition is a shorthand way of saying thinking, memory, language, attention, visuospatial, and other mental abilities.
- Your risk of cognitive impairment is the risk that 10 years from now, your cognition will be worse than your peers.
- Your risk of cognitive decline is the risk that 10 years from now, your cognition will be worse than it is now.
Fish helps you think — and keeps your thinking strong
The take-home lesson
To reduce your risk of cognitive impairment and decline, eat a Mediterranean-style diet including fish several times per week. There are lots of good fish to eat, including Atlantic mackerel, black sea bass, catfish, clams, cod, crab, crawfish, flounder, haddock, lobster, salmon, sardines, scallops, shrimp, skate, sole, squid, tilapia, trout, and canned light tuna. Just be careful about fish that may have high levels of mercury, such as swordfish and bigeye tuna; these fish should only be eaten occasionally. The FDA has a good guide to help you know the best fish to eat.Your mother was right
Did your mother ever tell you that fish was good for you? Mine did. In fact, she always used to say, “Fish helps you think.” She knew it all along; it just took the scientific community 50 years to catch up to her and prove it.Source: Harvard Health Blog.
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