hOW Is it best to keep our brains healthy? According to Dr. Sabine Donnai, founder of Viavi Longevity Clinic, the smallest things we do every day that make the biggest difference to our brain health.
In fact, the latest research suggests that. 45% of cases of dementia can be delayed Or it is prevented with the help of some simple tweaks to our habits.
“We are looking at the small benefits of diet and changing aspects of daily activities and adopting new habits,” she says. “It’s never too late to start these changes,” this is what she recommends.
1. Eat a balanced diet
Warwick University, Cambridge University, and Studying food preferences among 181,990 UK adults with an average age of 70, the University of Hudan in China found that people who ate balanced diets had better cognitive and memory than those who had reduced carbohydrates, high protein, or plant-based diets. Their findings, published in the journal Nature Mental Health, showed that balanced people have a better “brain morphology.” This is defined as the greater amount of gray matter, the outermost layer of the brain, and is responsible for controlling movement, memory and emotions.
2. Even if it’s just a walk, I exercise every day
According to the Alzheimer’s Association, physically active people are 20% less likely to develop dementia. “It doesn’t matter how active you are, but the combination of different types of exercise is probably best,” Donai says. The 2022 Jama Network Survey of 78,430 adults living in the UK is the best place to start, and while covering a total of 9,800 steps each day is best for lowering the risk of dementia, even at 3,800 steps per day, the incidence of dementia was lower.
3. Eat more berries (ideally organic)
A study from the University of Reading published in King’s College London and the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that eating one blueberry daily for three months provides benefits in healthy men and women aged 65-80 years, including improved memory and brain function. Last year, an analysis of government figures by Campaign Group Pesticide Action Network UK (PAN UK) found that unnecessary traces of PFA (inner body and polyfluoroalkyl substances) “for ever chemicals” were present in 95% of 120 samples of strawberries.
4. Eat lush greenery every day
Daily servings of lush green vegetables such as spinach, kale, cabbage and lettuce are essential for a healthy brain diet. A study of 960 elderly people with memory problems found that a team from Rush University in Chicago and the Tufts Center for Human Nutrition in Boston found that people who serve lush greens daily had a rate of cognitive debilitating equivalent to at least 11 years younger than those who ate them. Leafy green vegetables are a rich source of brain-friendly nutrients such as folic acid, nitrates and lutein.
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5. Take regular sauna
Researchers reported by Finnish researchers in the Journal Preventive Medicine report showed that those who visited the sauna at least two to three times a week were 53% lower risk of being diagnosed with dementia over the next 20 years than non-sauna users. Donai says that regular saunas can help reduce inflammation levels in the body, a known risk factor for cognitive decline.
6. Eat more oily fish
Fish are the source of essential omega-3 fatty acids such as EPA and DHA, which are important micronutrients that strengthen and protect the brain. A healthy middle class study published by American researchers in the journal Neurology showed that people who eat a variety of fish and who had a higher concentration of omega-3 fat in the bloodstream had better brain structure and cognitive health in their 40s and 50s.
7. Drizzle with olive oil for your meal
“Drying olive oil rain on salads and pasta dishes is a good habit to get in,” Donai says. It contains mainly single saturated fatty acids, including potent oleic acids known to reduce brain inflammation. A team of Harvard scientists reporting in the American Journal of Cardiology revealed that one teaspoon of olive oil daily is associated with a 12% reduction in the risk of death from all causes, but also highlighted the fact that olive oil consumption also has a relationship with a decrease in death from degenerate brain disease.
8. Cut out ultra-highly processed foods
Researchers from the University of Liverpool and Cambridge University reported in the Journal of Neurology last year, concluded that “high UPF consumption is associated with dementia.” Previous studies involving 72,083 people from Biobank Cohort in the UK found that people who consumed more UPF for over a decade were at a higher risk of dementia. According to these researchers, highly processed diets tend to have low levels of nutrients and too much sugar and sodium, which can lead to inflammation, which can be bad for brain health.
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9. Protects blood-brain barriers
The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a semi-permeable membrane that acts as a filter to keep harmful substances such as toxins and chemicals away from the brain. Although BBB works well when completely intact, it can easily be weakened by long-term illnesses such as inflammation, smoking, contamination, head injuries, and hypertension and diabetes, causing damage to blood vessels, including the blood vessels that make up the BBB. If the BBB is defective, it can speed up the accumulation of amyloid beta and tau proteins, which accelerates cognitive decline. However, there are many things you can do to save. “Easy steps like avoiding chemicals and additives can be as useful as possible with cosmetics, cleaning products and food,” Donai says. “Exercise every day and reduce stress in your life is another important step.”
