7 Best Foods for Slowing or Preventing Alzheimer’s Disease

This Article Was Written By Beth Rush, Editor Of Body+Min d

Food nourishes your body. Some give you energy to do your daily tasks, while others protect you from developing serious conditions like Alzheimer’s disease. This cognitive disorder affects millions worldwide, but you can slow or prevent it by making smarter diet choices.

Learn seven highly nutritious foods that fight Alzheimer’s and keep your cognition running like a well-oiled machine until old age.

What Foods To Eat To Prevent Alzheimer’s Disease?

What you eat can become natural medicine to shield you from cognitive decline and keep your brain active. To simplify your meal planning, here are seven foods to include in your daily healthy plate.

1. Berries

Berries are the best definition of small yet powerful fruits. Their size is the least of the concerns among healthy eaters because their nutritional profile is beyond impressive. They’re loaded with antioxidants that moderate inflammation by reducing oxidative stress.

One study cited that people with insulin resistance and elevated risk of dementia who increased their blueberry intak e gained cognitive benefits. Improvement was apparent in their executive abilities, making researchers believe these purple fruits can mitigate dementia risk.

If you enjoy a smoothie for breakfast, remember to toss in some blueberries, strawberries, or blackberries. They’ll make your first meal even more nutritious.

2. Fatty Fish

Salmon and sardines are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which the body needs for proper functioning. These substances are categorized as healthy fats, protecting against inflammation that contributes to many diseases.

In one study, researchers found that consuming two or more servings of fish per week is associated with fewer vascular brain damage markers, like lesions. This protective feature may help you sidestep or slow down cognitive decline if you’re at high risk.

Besides its neuroprotective features, fish is a top choice for a heart-healthy diet. Heart disease and stroke claim 17.5 million lives each year and are a leading cause of death around the world. That’s why you have one more good reason to skip beef or pork and switch to fish.

Grilling is the best way to eat fish, but it’s also versatile enough to be incorporated into any dish.

3. Leafy Green Vegetables

Many adults don’t eat enough vegetables and are leading a poor lifestyle. It’s no wonder the age factor for Alzheimer’s is decreasing, with people in their 30s, 40s, and 50s getting diagnosed with various forms of cognitive disorders.

Never reach for an unhealthy fast food even if you’re too tired to fix yourself a wholesome meal after a day of hustle. Instead, reward yourself with a bowl of salad with kale, lettuce and other leafy greens. Consuming more green leafy vegetables is linked with a reduced risk of Alzheimer’s disease. They’re also a staple component of healthful Mediterranean and MIND diets.

4. Nuts

Nuts boast healthy fats and antioxidants, keeping your cognitive command center in tip-top shape. Options like walnuts, almonds and hazelnuts are chock full of nutrients and good chemicals that prevent oxidative stress and the formation of harmful proteins in the brain.

For instance, hazelnuts can reverse brain shrinkage caused by losing neurons. Pine, pistachio, and pecan nuts can potentially mitigate Alzheimer’s disease. Your brain will thank you for including a handful of these edibles on your plate.

5. Whole Grains

Whole grains are a group of foods that fight Alzheimer’s disease. Oats, brown rice and quinoa are highly nutritious. They contain vitamins A, B and E that can lower cholesterol, blood pressure and insulin levels, conditions linked with brain impairment. Including them in your meals can diminish your odds of getting Alzheimer’s disease.

Based on science, participants who consumed the most whole gains had a 34% lower risk for all-cause dementia and 40% for Alzheimer’s. So, switch up your favorite meal of the day by slipping in some whole grains. Add more quinoa to your salad or a cup of red rice to replace mashed potato.

6. Turmeric

One food that fights Alzheimer’s is turmeric. It has curcumin, a substance with potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits. What’s even more impressive is that it can remove the brain buildup of a harmful protein called beta-amyloid, which is a hallmark of Alzheimer’s. It can prevent its formation, too.

There are numerous ways to incorporate turmeric into your diet, such as tossing it with roasted vegetables, adding it to frittatas, and blending it into a smoothie.

7. Green Tea

You have one more reason to enjoy green tea than just giving you a caffeine boost — it can keep your brain fit. It contains epigallocatechin gallate — a molecule that can untangle tau proteins spreading between brain cells and causing their death.

Researchers believe it can one day be used to treat Alzheimer’s disease. Sipping those daily cups of green tea proves to be more beneficial than being a means to keep you awake.

How To Incorporate These Foods in Your Diet?

Health experts recommend a Mediterranean diet for healthy-conscious individuals. It’s an eating pattern that features lots of vegetables, whole grains, healthy fat, fish, and moderate dairy. It can help lower your risk of heart disease and healthy blood sugar levels and slow cognitive decline as you age.

Diet alone will not lead to optimal cognition. Other lifestyle changes, like exercise and sleep, are part of this equation.

Thankfully, dementia awareness is expanding online. People living with it are happy to share their experiences — you can learn valuable insights and tips from experts who better understand the condition.

Eat These Foods That Fight Alzheimer’s

Your lifestyle helps keep your brain optimally functioning until your golden years.

Combine other positive habits like exercise and getting enough sleep with eating more of these seven foods to boost your overall well-being.

Beth Rush Wrote This Article

Beth Rush is the mindfulness editor at Body+Mind. She writes about caring for loved ones with Alzheimer’s disease. She also shares tips for coping with c-PTSD, PCOS, and climate anxiety. Her goal is to encourage readers to live their best lives. Subscribe to the Body+Mind Newsletter for more posts by Beth.

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