Previously, you may have considered your waistline when making your dietary choices – but have you thought of your brain? Dr Lisa Mosconi, associate director of the Alzheimer’s Prevention Clinic at Weill Cornell Medical College, suggests that of all the organs in the body, the brain is most easily damaged by a poor diet.
Three portions of colourful fruit and vegetables a day can cut memory loss in old age by a fifth, a study from July 2021 found. When researchers at Harvard University followed 75,000 people in their late 40s and early 50s over a period of 20 years, they found that those with a diet rich in colourful foods were 20 per cent less likely to suffer cognitive decline.
The brain is our most active organ, consuming 25 per cent of our energy and at times up to 50 per cent of our oxygen. And while there is no magic bullet when it comes to maintaining a healthy brain, eating enough certain nutrients has been proven to play an integral role in maintaining cognitive function and warding off dementia.
As a general rule, you should be aiming for a Mediterranean diet rich in fruit and vegetables, oily fish, wholegrains and the unsaturated fats found in olive oil, nuts and avocados. Lower your intake of foods with added sugars, saturated fat and processed meats.
Of course, you’ve heard this before – but science says it really does work. A 2017 study from the University of Edinburgh found that following the Mediterranean diet slows the shrinkage of the brain in old age. Another landmark study conducted at the University of California in 2016 showed on brain scans that a healthy lifestyle (including a Mediterranean diet and physical activity) reduces the build-up of proteins that lead to Alzheimer’s disease.
A varied diet is also key – 75 per cent of the processed foods that make up the majority of the average diet in the UK are based on just five animals and 12 products, as Professor James Goodwin, a director of the Brain Health Network, has told The Telegraph. This poses a problem for our health as getting stuck in a food rut can deprive the brain of key nutrients.
So, what should you have on your plate for a healthy brain?
Five nutrition rules for a better brain
1. Aim for three portions of colourful fruit and vegetables per day
