Heart-healthy diet may help reduce risk of cognitive decline – Alzheimer’s – Optimum Senior Care – Chicago In Home Care – www.OptimumSeniorCare.com
A heart-healthy diet, one lower in saturated fats, benefits both your body and your brain. Research suggests diets that can reduce the risk of heart disease may also reduce the risk of dementia.
Adopt a Healthy Diet
Adopt a Healthy Diet
Eating a heart-healthy diet benefits both your body and your brain. In general, this is a diet that is lower in saturated fats. Research in the area of the relationship between diet and cognitive functioning is somewhat limited, but it does point to the benefits of two diets in particular: the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet and the Mediterranean diet. These diets can help reduce heart disease and may also be able to reduce risk of dementia.
The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH)
The DASH diet aims to reduce blood pressure:
- Eat foods that are low in saturated fat, total fat and cholesterol, and high in fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy.
- Consume whole grains, poultry, fish and nuts.
- Decrease your intake of fats, red meats, sweets, sugared beverages and sodium.
The Mediterranean diet
The Mediterranean diet incorporates different principles of healthy eating that are typically found in the areas bordering the Mediterranean Sea:
- Focus on fruit, vegetables, nuts and grains.
- Replace butter with healthy fats, like olive oil.
- Limit red meat.
- Use herbs to flavor food rather than salt.
- Eat fish and poultry at least twice a week.
Be a part of breakthrough research
The Alzheimer’s Association is launching a two-year clinical trial researching lifestyle intervention on protecting brain health and potentially reducing the risk of dementia. Our U.S. Study to Protect Brain Health Through Lifestyle Intervention to Reduce Risk (U.S. POINTER) trial will test if combining physical activity, healthy nutrition, social and intellectual challenge and improved self-management of medical conditions can protect cognitive function in older adults who are at increased risk for cognitive decline. Trial recruitment begins this year.
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