Dementia is triggered by damage to or loss of nerve cells and their connections in the brain.
While certain risk factors like age are non-negotiable, others are completely in your hands.
One way to boost your brain is through your diet, and a doctor has outlined the three “amazing” foods that can do this with gusto.
Dr Michael Gaeta, who’s been practicing Chinese and functional medicine, spoke to Robert Love, a neuroscientist who specialises in helping people prevent Alzheimer’s disease using science, on TikTok. He outlined delicious options that “people can eat regularly”.
1. Fatty fish
Dr Gaeta explained that the brain is made partially of fat so healthy fats, especially omega-3s like EPA and DHA, can be “extremely helpful for your brain”.
A report, published in the BMJ, suggested that high fish and DHA intake has been consistently associated with improved cognitive health in older age.
What’s more, eating these fatty acids has been linked with a 10 to 30 percent reduced risk of Alzheimer’s disease and death, brain atrophy, and cognitive decline.
Dr Gaeta recommended eating wild fatty fish, like salmon.
2. Berries
The expert explained that brain degeneration is in part circulatory impairment, where microcirculation in the brain is decreased. “So things that improve microcirculation enhance your brain function,” he said.
With this in mind, he recommended reaching for berries as they are “a great choice”.
For example, a study, published in Nutrients, found that eating strawberries every day could reduce the risk of dementia for certain middle-aged people.
The trial, built on previous research by the University of Cincinnati in the US, found eating blueberries had a similar effect. As reported in Science Daily, study lead Robert Krikorian explained: “Both strawberries and blueberries contain antioxidants called anthocyanins, which have been implicated in a variety of berry health benefits such as metabolic and cognitive enhancements.
“There is epidemiological data suggesting that people who consume strawberries or blueberries regularly have a slower rate of cognitive decline with ageing.”
3. Dark chocolate
The last food the doctor recommended was organic, fair-trade, and at least 70 percent dark chocolate.
A study, published in the journal Hypertension, found that the intake of 6.8 grams of dark chocolate was enough to cause notable changes in brain electrical activity after just 30 minutes of intake.
Flavonoids abundant in chocolate have previously been shown to cross the blood-brain barrier.
“You don’t need a whole bar a day, but it’s about 20 grams or two-thirds of an ounce per day,” Dr Gaeta added.