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Previous studies found that a diet rich in fish, legumes, and vegetables can cut the risk of dementia by about 25 percent. Following that kind of diet between ages 48 and 70 also boosts activity in brain regions that support memory.
A team at the University of Oxford recently found that people aged 50 to 60 who eat a healthy diet and carry less belly fat have better memory and more flexible thinking.
They called the findings significant and urged people to improve their diets for better brain health.
They also warned that the global shift toward unhealthy eating is linked to increases in diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and obesity — all known risk factors for dementia.
What Did the Scientists Discover?
The team tracked the diets of 512 British participants over 11 years and measured the waist-to-hip ratios of 664 people over 21 years.
At intervals, researchers performed MRI scans and cognitive tests on participants, letting the team track changes in mental function and spot signs of decline, the Daily Mail reported.
Participants who followed what the study called a “proper midlife diet” showed stronger connections between the left hippocampus — the brain region key to memory and information processing — and the occipital lobe at the back of the brain, which handles visual processing. The researchers also linked dietary improvements to better verbal skills.
Their findings were published in the journal JAMA Network Open.
What Do Other Scientists Think About This?
Last year, researchers at Stanford tracked volunteers aged 44 to 60. They encouraged participants to increase physical activity and eat healthier to counteract the effects of “sharp waves” of aging.
The paper says high cholesterol and vision loss together account for one in every ten dementia cases. It also estimates that half of Alzheimer’s cases could be prevented by changing 14 lifestyle factors — with diet the most influential.
