Despite the fact that Alzheimer’s disease has been extensively researched, there is still plenty we don’t know about it.
Scientists are still trying to figure out what causes Alzheimer’s disease and other cognitive impairments. It’s difficult to pinpoint the best strategy to prevent them or provide a specific cure. Despite the fact that we’ve uncovered several riddles about Alzheimer’s disease throughout the years, we’re still missing the broader picture.
Nutritional research have been one method used by doctors in their search for a cure. Could finding the correct diet be the key to avoiding dementia?
The Food Guide for Brain Health in Canada
In March 2017, researchers from Baycrest Health Sciences at the University of Toronto announced a nutrition program for persons over the age of 50. They hope that by following this diet, people will be able to maintain cognitive function and improve memory retention as they age.
Dr. Susan Vandermorris, a clinical neuropsychologist at Baycrest, said, “The Brain Health Food Guide ties day-to-day nutrition guidance with the greatest available scientific information on boosting brain health in older persons.”
Rather of focusing on individual foods, the team focuses on major groups of foods that have health aspects that may affect the brain. These are some of them:
Berries rich in antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids, such as strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries.
Folic acid and vitamin A are abundant in cruciferous vegetables such as spinach, cauliflower, and cabbage.
Fish, particularly fatty forms such as salmon, tuna, and trout, are high in omega-3 fats.
Beans and nuts are two more categories that the team advises consumers consume at least once a week.
“There is growing evidence in the scientific literature that healthy diet is linked to cognitive function preservation, but there is also a lot of misinformation out there,” said Dr. Carol Greenwood, a senior scientist at Baycrest.
The Baycrest team hopes to offset some of this misconception by focusing on food classes rather than particular, specific items. This diet also provides diversity, making it simpler for people to stick to.
The MIND diet is a low-carbohydrate
The MIND diet is another brain-centric diet that has just been established. Some of the best memory care facilities near me including Rush University Medical Center have researchers that claim that people who adhere to the MIND diet religiously reduce their risk of Alzheimer’s disease by 53%, while those who follow it moderately reduce their risk by 35%.
This diet is more rigorous than the Canadian Brain Health Food Guide, yet it contains many of the same components. It recommends that consumers have three servings of whole grains every day, as well as a salad and one other vegetable and a glass of wine. Consumption of chicken and berries twice a week, as well as fish at least once a week, is also essential, as are daily snacks of nuts and adding beans into meals every other day.
The MIND diet promotes the following ten healthful foods in total:
Vegetables, particularly those that are cruciferous.
Nuts.
Berries.
Grains that are whole.
Fish.
Poultry.
Olive oil is a type of oil that comes from the olive
Wine.
The diet also requires people to limit their intake of the following foods:
Meat that is red in color.
Margarine and butter
Cheese.
Sweets.
Food that has been fried.
Food that is prepared quickly.
Dr. Martha Clare Morris, a nutritional epidemiologist at Rush University, said, “Studies have given evidence that suggests what we eat may have a big part in deciding who develops [Alzheimer’s] and who doesn’t.”
The Rush team believes that by eating more brain-healthy foods and avoiding saturated fats and sweets, more people will be able to delay or prevent the onset of Alzheimer’s disease.
Nutritional needs of the elderly
Older persons, according to the World Health Organization, may be particularly vulnerable to malnutrition. As we age, our metabolic rates, baseline temperature, and lean body mass decrease, affecting our dietary requirements. Chronic diseases and certain medications might have an impact on a person’s appetite and demands.
Caregivers of elderly loved ones, particularly those suffering from cognitive impairments such as dementia, must be hyper-aware of what they consume and how often they eat. It’s critical to make balanced meals based on nutritious foods, and your loved one is likely counting on you to shop for and prepare their meals. Anything heavy in saturated fat, sugar, or sodium should be avoided.
While you should talk to your loved one’s doctor about particular dietary recommendations, you may use the USDA’s MyPlate Checklist Calculator to figure out how many calories they need each day to keep healthy.
It’s critical to consider the nutritional content of the foods you make, especially as you become older, whether you’re trying to follow a specific diet or simply trying to incorporate more nutritious foods into your meals. For more information on How Your Diet Can Impact Alzheimer’s contact your local memory care facility or one of the memory care places near me.
