Alzheimer’s disease usually leads to dementia and has long plagued senior citizens. Suffering from Alzheimer’s and other dementia-related diseases is a leading contributing factor to beginning senior care services. However, research suggests that a healthy diet could contribute to preventing or slowing the onset of Alzheimer’s. How can diet help our seniors stay healthy?
Alzheimer’s and Diet
According to some studies, the food that we eat usually affects the ability of our brain to remember and think. In short, the general eating patterns among seniors can make a significant difference.
By the time a senior has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, their brain has gone through several changes. The early changes suggest that it is possible to either delay or prevent the symptoms of the chronic illness. Researchers look into lifestyle changes, drugs, and other techniques to prevent the ailment. The only issue is that some risk factors are unavoidable, including genetics and age. However, lifestyle changes are under the control of seniors and they include exercise, diet, and cognitive training.
What Foods Can Help?
You may ask yourself; how does my diet affect my brain? The best answer is, certain types of food usually affect biological mechanisms, including inflammation and oxidative stress. In other instances, our diet can affect the risk factors of Alzheimer’s disease, including obesity and heart disease.
The Mediterranean diet is a healthy choice, and it shows promise when it comes to preventing Alzheimer’s disease. The diet places emphasis on consuming considerable amounts of vegetables, fruits, fish, legumes, whole grains, and seafood. A great place to start is with unsaturated fats, including olive oil. You should consume eggs and red meat in low amounts. The Mediterranean diet also helps to lower blood pressure.
Several studies show that the Mediterranean diet can help prevent or slow Alzheimer’s disease. Research is ongoing but this diet shows a lot of promise. Comparisons between diets with more red meat and saturated fats show that a healthier diet helps with Alzheimer’s.
Help Slow Alzheimer’s Now
Although scientists are not entirely sure whether the Mediterranean diet has a positive impact on the brain, it is evident this diet type helps to improve cardiovascular health while also reducing the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. When you consume fish, your cognitive functions also improve. A healthy diet will also contain nutrients that will help to protect the brain cells from antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
