For those in middle adulthood, there’s a lot going on. Many are at the peak of their careers; those with children may be working harder than ever to pay for college; and some are also caring for an aging parent. “It’s very challenging and stressful,” says Dianna Purvis Jaffin, director of strategy and programs for the Center for BrainHealth’s Brain Performance Institute at the University of Texas–Dallas.
So how does one stay mentally sharp during this time and protect their brain health for the golden years? First, you must take a holistic approach, incorporating ample physical activity and sleep, along with a mindful diet and good stress-management , Purvis Jaffin says.
As it relates to a proper diet, take some advice from pros in nutrition and brain health to make sure you have a clear head and fuel for thought.
A natural place to start, experts say, is with the MIND diet, which stands for the Mediterranean– DASH Diet Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay. It blends two well-regarded eating programs — one established by culture and the other by science, and both known to lower the risk of high blood pressure, heart attack and stroke.
As it turns out: “What is good for the heart is also good for the head,” says Jennifer McDaniel, a spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, and a registered dietitian nutritionist based in St. Louis. The same foods that safeguard cardiovascular health also preserve and optimize brain function as well. “Things that we should be eating, of course, no surprise, are going to be vegetables and fruits,” she says, adding that it’s important to pay attention to darker-colored veggies, from Swiss chard and spinach to beets. Research on the MIND diet found that even those who ate a couple of servings of dark leafy greens over the course of a week benefited, with those who ate six servings weekly seeing the greatest boost to brain health.
In the fruit category, berries seem to have a mental edge. “Blueberries are really the brain’s best friend,” McDaniel says. Not only do studies back the brain-boosting power of berries, they’re also a mainstay of the MIND diet. So eat strawberries and blueberries at least twice a week, including to bolster short- and long-term memory, she says. Berries (along with other healthy fruits and veggies) contain polyphenols. “Polyphenols have this antioxidant property that really helps protect the brain against oxidative damage,” she says. This cellular damage occurs as a result of stress to the aging brain and seems to be more extensive in people with Alzheimer’s disease.
The aging process can take a toll on the brain, and though eating healthy food is no panacea, experts say a nutritious diet combined with physical activity, social engagement, stress reduction and other healthy behaviors may help keep connections in the brain stronger to enhance mental acuity. In addition, by helping to keep hypertension, cholesterol and blood sugar in check, proper diet and exercise play a significant role in not only improving a person’s overall health but in enhancing and protecting the brain, including against Alzheimer’s disease, the most common cause of dementia in older adults.
“The biggest risk factors for affecting cognitive decline in Alzheimer’s, we believe, are things such as diabetes … high blood pressure and high cholesterol,” says Dean Hartley, director of science initiatives at the Alzheimer’s Association. While the irreversible, progressive brain disorder is most typically diagnosed in seniors, some of the changes that occur with Alzheimer’s may begin to set in 15 to 20 years prior to the appearance of symptoms, Hartley says: “So doing those things in midlife, if not earlier, could be critically important for staving that off.”
Along with the MIND diet, Hartley notes that adherence to the so-called prudent diet has been shown, in research recently published by the Alzheimer’s Association’s journal Alzheimer’s & Dementia, to diminish the negative effects of consuming a traditional Western diet (think: hot dogs and bacon), which is associated with cognitive decline. Whereas the traditional Western diet is characterized by regularly eating red meat and other processed foods loaded with saturated and trans fats, refined grains and sugar, topped off with routinely glugging down beer and spirits, according to the research, the prudent diet is marked by more frequently eating veggies, fruit, cooking or dressing oil, cereals and legumes, whole grains, rice and pasta, fish and low-fat poultry and regularly drinking water.
Not surprisingly, those who adhered most closely to the prudent diet saw the greatest benefit. But even those who ate a mix of the Western and prudent diets saw some advantage to changing their eating patterns. That’s good news for those who struggle to eat right, experts say, since there still seems to be some gain from introducing healthier foods into the diet, including those featured in the MIND and prudent diets.
So what else should you be eating for body and mind both now and later? Here are a few foods for thought:
— Nuts. At least five times a week, according to MIND diet researchers. The slow-digesting carbohydrates contain antioxidants and boost brain function, McDaniel says.
— Beans. Try black beans, garbanzo beans (also called chickpeas) or lentils. Aim to eat beans three times a week for their brain-boosting B vitamins and phytochemicals. Beans help keep blood sugar stable by providing an even supply of glucose, which McDaniel notes is the brain’s preferred fuel.
— Salads. Get your leafy greens and at least one other veggie daily, MIND diet researchers recommend. With spinach and other leaves mix in broccoli and red bell peppers to get a host of brain-protecting antioxidants.
— Whole grains. Aim for three servings per week to help improve blood flow to the brain. Quinoa, bulgur, oats and brown rice are all examples of heart-healthy options.
— Fish. While the MIND diet recommends getting the healthy fats from fish like salmon and tuna at least once weekly, McDaniel suggests eating it more often, as prescribed by the traditional Mediterranean diet, which grew up seaside. “Omega-3 fatty acids, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in particular, may help improve memory in healthy young adults,” she says. “Our brains are largely made up of this fatty acid, so it makes sense to fuel with this fat.”
— Poultry. Turkey or chicken — at least two servings per week, according to the MIND diet. These contain choline, a nutrient also found in the yolks of eggs, another food McDaniel recommends to improve brain health.” You’re brain uses choline to make acetylcholine, or a neurotransmitter that is involved in communication between brain cells. Choline has been shown to help with memory and, in particular, communication between the cells. That makes eating foods with choline, like eggs, particularly important as we age, she says. Choline intake should be a focus in middle adulthood, typically before any cognitive decline would occur.
— Wine. A glass a day, according to the MIND diet, to keep the neurologist away. Both white or red wine could be beneficial, but there’s more research behind the latter. “Wine protects the brain by increasing blood flow to the brain, and wine contains polyphenols which have been shown to improve neural communication,” McDaniel says. “Alcohol improves insulin sensitivity, important as insulin resistance has been linked to dementia.”
— Olive oil. Turn to this as the cooking oil of choice, including to combat oxidative damage in the brain.
— Unsweetened cocoa. Boost your brain power today with a tablespoon in oatmeal or a smoothie. “Unsweetened cocoa has been shown to increase activity in the brain related to memory,” McDaniel says. “Proposed benefits from chocolate and cocoa powder come from polyphenols,” which move more blood to the brain, he says.
While it’s on your mind, you should also aim to limit your consumption of certain foods. The MIND diet says to eat no more than four servings of red meat per week, and to limit butter to less than a tablespoon per day. That’s in addition to cutting way back on cheese, sweets and pastries, and fast food. These foods, McDaniel says, not only affect weight but can contribute to other issues like inflammation, which is bad for the body and — you guessed it — the brain.
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Food for Thought: Eating for Brain Health in Middle Adulthood originally appeared on usnews.com
