Brittle bones and losing teeth are not the only things you need to worry about as you get old. Dementia is an unfortunate part of ageing, but according to experts, certain foods can actually help stave off the effects of neurocognitive decline. Here's a closer look at some of these healthy food choices.
But first, what is dementia?
Dementia, explains Dr Saliha Afridi, clinical psychologist and managing director of LightHouse Arabia, is a set of symptoms that include cognitive changes like forgetfulness and psychiatric symptoms such as depression.
"There are also personality changes such as being overtly extroverted and problem behaviours such as agitation," she says. Dr Amin Abdullah Al Shawabkeh, specialist neurologist at Medcare Hospital, says that Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia.
Food and diets that can help keep dementia at bay
The Med diet
Power ingredients: Fish, vegetables, legumes, fruits, cereals and monounsaturated fatty acids. This includes a relatively low intake of dairy products, meats and saturated fats.
Facts: According to Dr Al Shawabkeh, foods rich in olive oil, like Mediterranean cuisine, may result in a lowered risk of AD. Quiaonza suggests that with its focus on whole grains, vegetables and fruits, beans, fish and olive oil, a Mediterranean diet provides neurological benefits due to its positive effects on your heart. It also protects against neurological damage that can lead to vascular dementia or AD. "This may be due to the diet's proven positive effects on reducing inflammation, which has been associated with mild cognitive impairment and AD," she says.
Broccoli and spinach
Power ingredient: Folic acid
Facts: A research group led by Dr Teodoro Bottiglieri at the Baylor University Medical Center Institute of Metabolic Disease in Dallas, Texas, suggest that low levels of folic acid may cause brain damage. You can decrease homocysteine, which is a neurotoxin that can damage the brain's medial temporal lobe, by increasing your intake of folic acid by eating a diet with lots of broccoli and spinach. "High homocysteine levels can be a risk factor for developing AD," says Dr Afridi.
Oysters, mussels, and shrimps
Power ingredient: Vitamin B12
Facts: A diet rich in vitamin B12 can prevent high homocysteine levels, says Sheeb Kristine Quiaonza, dietician at Belhoul Speciality Hospital. In addition to damaging the brain's medial temporal lobe, high homocysteine levels can lead to the deterioration of dopamine-producing brain cells. Researchers at the Oxford Project to Investigate Memory and Aging (Optima) found that adults with low levels of vitamin B12 had more than four times the usual risk of AD and dementia. You can also get vitamin B12 in eggs and cheese.
Salmon, tuna, flax seeds, and walnuts
Power ingredient: Omega-3
Facts: "Low intake of omega-3 fatty acids or low fish consumption is associated with increased risk of age-related cognitive decline or dementia and AD," says Quiaonza. One of the most important omega-3 fatty acids needed for optimal health is DHA, short for docosahexaenoic acid. A deficiency of DHA is often associated with depression, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and dementia. "DHA is the most important fatty acid in the brain and retina and makes up more than 30 per cent of the structural fat of nerve cells in the brain," Quiaonza says. So eat that fish!
Sunflower seeds, almonds and dried apricots
Power ingredient: Vitamin E
Facts: The Journal of the American Medical Association (Jama) (2002) published a study by the Erasmus Medical Centre in Rotterdam that followed over 5,000 people over the age of 55 (who did not have dementia at the start of the study) for more than nine years. Results revealed that those who consumed higher levels of Vitamin E had 25 per cent less risk of developing dementia compared to those who consumed lower levels.
Apples
Power ingredient: Quercetin
Facts: Quercetin, which is in apple skins, has been found to prevent brain damage. Dr Chang Y ‘Cy' Lee, a professor of food science at the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station at Cornell University in the US says, "Studies show that additional apple consumption may not only help reduce the risk of cancer, as previous studies have shown, but also, an apple a day may supply major bioactive compounds, which may play an important role in reducing the risk of neuro degenerative disorders."
Cherries, strawberries, blueberries and raspberries
Power ingredient: Anthocyanins
Facts: Berries are packed with antioxidants and anti-inflammatory phytochemicals that help to reduce brain inflammation and brain oxidative stress, both of which have been associated with dementia and AD. Scientists have discovered that the antioxidant compounds, anthocyanins, which give cherries their bright red colour, contains anti-inflammatory properties.
Indian curries
Power ingredients: Turmeric, cloves, and ginger
Facts: "Curcumin is the main active constituent of turmeric and may defend the brain from dementia because of its antioxidant properties," Quiaonza says. Antioxidants work by protecting cells from damage caused by compounds that destroy cells. "In a study called European Psychopharmacology, it has been found that Curcumin enhances the activity of a brain enzyme and a lack of this brain enzyme (choline acetyltransferase) is linked to the deterioration of brain cells," she says. The anti-inflammatory properties of curcumin can also be a therapeutic agent for treating AD.
Dark chocolate with a low-sugar, high-cocoa content
Power ingredient: Flavonoids
Facts: Professor Ian MacDonald of the University of Nottingham in the UK found that a cocoa drink boosted the blood flow to key areas of the brain for a period of two to three hours after ingestion. The research results suggest that the active ingredients found in chocolate can treat vascular impairment in the brain that is thought to contribute to strokes and dementia.
Green tea
Power ingredient: Catechins
Facts: Scientists injected mice with an antioxidant from green tea called epigallocatechin 3-gallate and found that it decreased production of beta amyloid - a protein that forms plaque build-up in the brains of people with AD. Results showed that several months of injections reduced the formation of plaque in the brains of the mice by as much as 50 per cent.
How to ward off dementia
Apart from eating a diet that's rich in ‘brain food', there are lots of other ways you help yourself:
Remain as physically active as possible - Staying active helps you stay in shape, fit and helps aid optimal blood circulation throughout the body.
Socialise regularly - Make friends and stay social because it will not only keep you active, but also release ‘happy' chemicals in your brain.
Exercise your brain - Challenge yourself mentally. Word or number puzzles, memorizing facts, reading, learning new skills all build neuroplasticity.
Avoid sugar - Eat diets low in refined sugars.
Manage your stress levels - cortisol and adrenaline can be unhealthy for our body and brain. You need to have good stress management strategies in place to avoid long-term exposure of stress on the brain.
Don't smoke - the oxidants in cigarettes hurt your brain and body.
