Nutrition in USA presents you: dementia-fighting foods you need to add to your diet!
Everyone knows that eating healthy and nutritious foods is one of the most important things for living a healthy lifestyle. Consuming lots of delicious fruits and veggies, lean protein, and whole grains is amazing for your skin and ability to focus, and it can also help you prevent diabetes, heart disease, and other particular forms of cancer.
However, did you know you can take care of your brain with these dementia-fighting foods? While it’s difficult to reverse any particular form of dementia, recent studies suggest that consuming particular foods can slow down your brain’s aging process.
We wanted to know more about the way diet impacts the chemical process in the brain, and we talked to health experts about all the dementia-fighting foods you need to add to your diet to be happy, healthy, calm, and glowy. Let’s begin!
1. Berries
One of the tastiest dementia-fighting foods you could consume is berries. Whether you prefer blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, or cherries, researchers discovered that people in their 50s who consumed half a cup of these delicious fruits had lower chances of developing dementia.
Of course, cognitive decline can be triggered by different factors, such as heart disease, high blood pressure, obesity, or diabetes, and in particular cases, the nutrients that these dementia-fighting foods contain can become a great aid in keeping health issues at bay.
For instance, berries are rich in a flavonoid called anthocyanin, which slows down the progression of brain damage caused by free radicals. Besides that, these fruits are packed with vitamins and antioxidants, which will make your tummy and brain happy.
2. Nuts
Peanuts, almonds, cashews, pecans, and walnuts are some of the most amazing dementia-fighting foods you could consume. They’re loaded with vitamin E, healthy fats, B vitamins, and magnesium, which are known for promoting good brain health.
For example, researchers discovered that English walnuts contain amazing anti-inflammatory phytochemicals that can reduce inflammation of brain cells. Moreover, eating a handful of these amazing nuts every few days will help you maintain optimal brain health throughout the aging process.
But that’s not all: consuming nuts as a snack will help you keep your hunger levels in check, will give you energy, and will make your hair, skin, and nails stronger and shinier!
3. Cruciferous vegetables
If you love eating cruciferous veggies, you’re doing great, because these are some of the best dementia-fighting foods you could add to your diet.
Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, collard greens, arugula, bok choy, and cabbage are rich in carotenoids and B vitamins that can reduce your levels of homocysteine.
This is an amino acid linked to cognitive decline, dementia, and brain atrophy, and consuming these cruciferous veggies is a great way to deal with it from within.
If you don’t have issues with bloating, you can eat some of these vegetables raw with an avocado and cheese dip, and they’re going to taste amazing.
However, if you have a sensitive tummy, it’s best to sauté these dementia-fighting foods in olive oil and garlic and combine them with a lean source of protein, such as salmon and chicken breast, to have a wonderful meal. You can also sneak these delicious superfoods into soups and smoothies, and you’ll be glowing from the inside out.
4. Seeds
Other great dementia-fighting foods that will help you stay on top of your health game are seeds. Whether you prefer pumpkin, sunflower, flax, or chia seeds, these are amazing for your brain and body, thanks to the fact that they’re rich in omega-3s, vitamin E, choline, and zinc.
These amazing nutrients will help reduce cognitive decline and improve your focus, and they’ll also add some fiber to your diet, so you can solve those bloating issues. You can get that health kick by sneaking these seeds into yogurt, salads, smoothies, and even desserts, like muffins, banana bread, or pudding.
5. Fish
Fatty fish is one of the best dementia-fighting foods you could be eating. Consuming salmon, tuna, anchovies, herring, mackerel, black cod, sardines, bluefin tuna, whitefish, striped bass, and cobia is wonderful for your body and brain, thanks to the high content of omega-3 fatty acids.
Fatty fish is also rich in protein and vitamins, and the combination of these nutrients is amazing for brain health, glowy skin, and a reduced risk of cognitive decline.
Moreover, the mega-3 fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is amazing for keeping dementia at bay, and while our bodies can’t produce enough of it on their own, we need to get DHA from the food we consume.
Nutritionists say that two to three servings of fatty fish a week is just enough to give your brain all the nutrients it needs to keep health issues as far away from you as possible.
6. Leafy greens
Whether you like leafy greens or not, take this article as your sign to add them to your diet, because they’re one of the most amazing dementia-fighting foods ever.
Kale, spinach, Swiss card, collard greens, romaine lettuce, green leaf lettuce, red leaf lettuce, butter lettuce, baby leaf lettuce, escarole, endive, spring mix, and cabbage are rich in B vitamins like folate and B9, which are wonderful for reducing depression and mood swings, and they also boost your cognition.
You can eat these leafy greens raw or cooked in salads, or you can add them to soups, smoothies, chilis, stews, hummus, sauces, and pesto. If you want to consume them raw and you have a sensitive tummy, keep in mind that they can give you bloating issues, so it’s best to massage them for 1-2 minutes with olive oil and lemon, so they’re easier to chew and digest.
7. Spices
While these aren’t technically part of the dementia-fighting foods, spices are still great aids in helping your brain function better and improve the aging process, so we had to include them on our list.
Speaking of that, cinnamon, cumin, and sage have a fantastic taste when used to season meals, and the best part about them is that they’re rich in polyphenols. These are compounds that help your brain be healthy and improve your memory.
Moreover, these kinds of spices can help prevent Alzheimer’s and cognitive decline by reducing inflammation and eating away at brain plaque. Start stocking your spice cabinet with a range of spices that will not only add flavor to your food but also support cognitive wellness.
If you’re looking for some high-quality cinnamon that will make your coffee, tea, cider, pancakes, and other foods and drinks taste like a holiday, I recommend you get this one from Amazon!
8. Whole grains
We couldn’t end this article about dementia-fighting foods without including whole grains on our list. Quinoa, oats, and brain rice are some of the healthiest grains you could find on the market, and they’re rich in B vitamins and fiber, which are amazing nutrients for reducing inflammation in the brain, warding off dementia, and supporting your memory.
Replace your white flour with coconut or oat flour to get some additional health benefits when you’re baking, and make sure to add plenty of whole grains to your diet.
Eat a warm bowl of oatmeal with berries and nuts in the morning, a bowl of quinoa and fatty fish at lunch, and a salad with seeds, leafy greens, spices, and some lean protein at dinner, and you’ll be great.
How many of these dementia-fighting foods do you have in your diet? Do you feel better when you consume them? Let us know in the comments below, and don’t forget that your health should be your top priority.
If you enjoyed reading this article and you’d like to check out something else from Nutrition in USA, here’s another amazing post for you: 7 Best Calcium-Rich Foods: More Nutrients Than a Glass of Milk
1 thought on “Dementia-Fighting Foods: 8 Things to Add to Your Diet NOW!”
A good article. I read my head off, so saying that says something!
It’s too bad no matter what we do can’t fix everything, I’m airly old and ridiculously healthy. Happy to see your recomendations are on my eating list!
Thanks for doing what you do