Which diet and exact foods are great for preventing dementia: study

What you eat has a serious impact on how your brain ages — and a new study says a certain diet could greatly reduce your dementia risk.Healthy eating has long been shown to improve cognitive performance and stave off degenerative disorders like Alzheimer’s, but recent research suggests a specific kind of healthy dining reigns supreme in the battle against dementia, particularly for those predisposed to decline.Researchers from the Swedish National Study on Aging and Care followed nearly 2,000 older adults over age 60 who didn’t have dementia for 15 years.They looked at the effects of three diets: For the purposes of this study, people following the rEDII protocol prioritized foods known to reduce inflammation, a hallmark of Alzheimer’s.At the end of the study, they found that among participants at higher risk for Alzheimer’s, only the final diet showed significant risk reduction, suggesting that focusing on anti-inflammatory foods is key to preventing Alzheimer’s in those who are predisposed to it.“An anti-inflammatory diet is great for the prevention and slowing the progression of Alzheimer’s disease,” Emily Case, registered dietitian at Northwell Health, told The Post.

Case stated that previous research has established that eating plans like the DASH diet (a heart-healthy plan to lower blood pressure, reduce cholesterol and prevent chronic diseases) and the Mediterranean diet (which prioritizes whole foods, fresh produce, whole grains and healthy fats) can boost brain health as we age.Case notes that these diets can prevent and delay, but not reverse, cognitive decline.Oxidative stress, which mainly arises from chronic inflammation, speeds up aging and fuels chronic diseases like Alzheimer’s, cancer, and diabetes.Case explained that inflammation is a bit like a bodily bonfire, and what we consume can stoke or dampen it.“That’s something that we need to keep in mind when we choose the foods that we do to eat,” she said.When it comes ...