To most of us, this may seem like mere words, but recent research confirms that eating habits affect brain health. Once again, it turned out: more plants = more health.
Neurologists have found that eating a healthy diet is the best way to maintain memory and mental acuity, even in old age. The study involved nearly 28 thousand people aged 55 and older from 40 countries. For five years, scientists evaluated the participants’ diets, awarding higher scores for fruits, vegetables, and whole grains in the diet, and lower scores for red meat and processed foods.
The results were amazing
Among people who ate a healthy diet, a decrease in cognitive function (memory loss, loss of the ability to think logically) was observed 24% less often. Cognitive decline was the most common among those on the leanest diet.
There was no talk of any “magic” ingredients
Researchers from McMaster University determined that there is no one magic ingredient, a healthy diet in general matters. Study author Professor Andrew Smith told Forbes:
– Eating “healthy” foods can be beneficial, but this effect is lost / diminished by the consumption of “unhealthy” foods. For example, the beneficial effect of consuming fruits is negligible if they are cooked with a lot of fat or sugar. Our findings suggest that overall healthy eating is more important than consuming any particular food.
This point is important to understand for those who regularly ask me what to do with superpowders / superfoods / superfoods !!!
What do we know about the connection between diet and memory?
This new experience complements a growing body of research that shows that what we eat affects how well our brain works.
“Avoiding meat, dairy and eggs in favor of fruits and vegetables altogether or at least partially helps reduce the risk of serious memory problems,” said Neil Barnard, President of the Physicians’ Committee for Responsible Medicine, M.D.
Matthew Lederman, M.D., medical consultant Forks About Knives (whose culinary school I am currently studying) commented, “In general, any dietary changes that increase intake of whole plant foods such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains will have a positive effect on brain health.”