Learn Why These 6 Foods May Reduce Your Risk of Alzheimer's
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Key Takeaways
New data shows not only which foods may reduce Alzheimer’s risk, but how.
Following dietary patterns linked to brain health benefits, like the MIND diet, may help reduce Alzheimer’s disease risk.
Diet isn’t the only factor that can impact Alzheimer’s risk. Other lifestyle risk factors, like smoking, can contribute too, as can genetic and environmental risk factors.
If you are focused on reducing your risk of Alzheimer’s disease, new research published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease details exactly which foods you should eat and which foods you should limit to help accomplish this goal. This new information reiterates how lifestyle choices may have a profound impact on your brain health as you age.
Practical tips for preventing Alzheimer’s disease—a progressive neurological disorder that causes the brain to atrophy—are more needed than ever. Alzheimer’s disease rates in the U.S. are projected to increase by 24% from 2019 levels by 2039. Globally, 22% of all people aged 50 or older have Alzheimer’s disease.
There’s no definitive cause for Alzheimer’s, so there are also no definitive prevention strategies. But scientists believe the disease is the result of a combination of genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors. Prevailing theories suggest risk factors may include family history, the presence of the APOE-e4 gene, a history of head trauma, and poor heart health.
Luckily, there are certain things you can do to bolster both your heart health and your brain health, including eating well.
Best and Worst Eating Patterns for Alzheimer’s Risk
The authors of the new study highlight the Mediterranean diet, the DASH diet, and the MIND diet as eating patterns with the most recognition for supporting cognitive health.
The Mediterranean diet is defined by high consumption of olive oil, fish, breads and cereals, fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, beans, and seeds; moderate amounts of dairy products, poultry, and alcohol; and small amounts of red and processed meat and sweets.
The DASH diet (dietary approaches to stop hypertension diet) has large amounts of grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and low-fat dairy products; moderate amounts of poultry and fish; and small amounts of red meat, sweets, saturated and total fat, cholesterol, and salt.
The MIND diet (Mediterranean-DASH intervention for neurodegenerative delay diet) is characterized by high consumption of olive oil, fish, whole grains, berries, green leafy vegetables, other vegetables, nuts, and beans; moderate amounts of poultry and alcohol/wine; and small amounts of red and processed meats, pastries and sweets, cheese, butter/margarine, and deep-fried foods.
On the other end of the spectrum, the Western diet, which is characterized by high consumption of fat, ultraprocessed foods, and meat, is linked to poor cognitive outcomes. One study defines the Western Diet as a dietary pattern in which 70% of calories originate from animal foods, oils and fats, and sweeteners. This diet does not include many fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, or nuts—all important sources of vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants.
The Best Foods to Support Brain Health
There is no single food that will guarantee that you will never develop Alzheimer’s disease. But some data suggests including these foods in your diet may help maintain your brain health, especially when they are consumed as a part of a known brain health-supporting dietary pattern, like the MIND diet. This is not a comprehensive list, as the study authors highlighted almost 20 food categories in their paper.
Walnuts
The authors of the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease study suggest that walnuts benefit brain health because they are a source of lignans, a unique plant compound. Lignans help reduce neurodegeneration, or the progressive loss of structure or function of neurons, including their death. Walnuts may also inhibit inflammatory signaling pathways in the brain.
Maggie Moon, MS, RD, brain health nutrition expert and best-selling author of The MIND Diet, told Verywell about other research touting walnuts as a weapon against Alzheimer’s. She explained a study published in the journal Nutrients posits the omega-3 alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) in walnuts provide anti-inflammatory effects that may “reduce the risk of developing, or potentially even slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.”
Berries
Produce that is naturally red, violet, or blue can positively impact brain health, in part thanks to plant compounds called anthocyanins.
The researchers suggest that anthocyanins help reduce a tissue-destroying process called oxidative stress by lowering free radicals in the body. These compounds may also reduce the aggregation of tau protein. Tau proteins, when functioning normally, help transport nutrients within nerve cells. In Alzheimer’s, however, tau proteins become defective and form tangled, twisted fibers within these cells. These tangles disrupt the transportation system of neurons, leading to cell death and cognitive decline, hallmarks of this devastating disease.
Again, Moon cites additional research corroborating the brain benefits of berries: “People who ate strawberries reduced their risk of Alzheimer’s by 34% compared to no or rare intake, according to a population-based study,” she said.
Hazelnuts
Hazelnuts are packed with nutrients and a rich, sweet flavor. The phenolic acid (specifically caffeic acid) found in hazelnuts protects brain cells by helping decrease tau phosphorylation. Tau phosphorylation is a crucial process related to the development of Alzheimer’s disease.
Hazelnuts also contain flavonoids like quercetin. This flavonoid may help reduce protein oxidation and fat peroxidation in the brain—two factors that may contribute to Alzheimer’s disease risk.
Leafy Greens
The study authors highlight three compounds that may help support brain health: folate, lutein, and phylloquinone (vitamin K), which are all found in leafy greens like spinach and kale.
Folate, specifically, may impact brain health by helping manage levels of homocysteine, an amino acid in the blood associated with Alzheimer’s disease at high levels.
Salmon
The authors called attention to the DHA omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin D that coldwater oily fish, like salmon, provide. Vitamin D acts primarily as a hormone and has many mechanisms to shield against aging. For example, vitamin D reduces the production of amyloid plaques, which are commonly found in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s.
“Omega-3s can lower inflammation in your body and provide antioxidant capabilities, improving brain health and function,” registered dietitian Melissa Mitri, RD, told Verywell. “Other studies also suggest that a higher intake of omega-3s can reduce your risk of Alzheimer’s disease.”
Eggs
Although not listed as food to emphasize in the new Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease paper, eggs are one of the best sources of brain health-supporting nutrients like choline and lutein. In fact, eggs are one of the most concentrated sources of choline in the American diet and one of the few foods rich in choline.
Animal models demonstrate choline may help lower the risk of Alzheimer’s by aiding in the reduction of a harmful brain protein called beta-amyloid, which is often found in high levels in Alzheimer’s patients. Additionally, choline may support brain health by supporting the production of neurotransmitters, notably acetylcholine, which is crucial for memory and cognitive function.
Preliminary data suggest that more frequent consumption of eggs and foods rich in choline may reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease in the elderly.
Foods to Limit to Reduce Alzheimer’s Disease Risk
Moon explained which foods to reduce when trying to mitigate Alzheimer’s disease risk.
The MIND diet limits excessive intake of foods high in saturated fats such as:
Red meat
Butter
Whole fat cheese
Pastries
Fried foods
This is because saturated fat can lead to malfunctioning at the blood-brain barrier and build-up of the plaques associated with Alzheimer’s disease. A functioning blood-brain barrier keeps toxic substances out of the brain, and a breakdown of this protective barrier often precedes outward symptoms of dementia.
“Keep in mind that these foods are not eliminated; they are just limited,” Moon said of the MIND diet. “Less of these foods and more brain-healthy foods will support lifelong brain health.”
What This Means For You
Foods that you probably already associate with good overall health and brain health, like produce and healthy fats, are your best bets when it comes to modifying risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease.
Read the original article on Verywell Health.
