Nutrition and Brain Health: The Role of Food and Lifestyle in Brain Wellness

Recently, I’ve been tempted to subscribe to a Web-based program that purports to improve your memory and mental acuity with daily “brain- games.” This got me brainstorming (pun intended) about ways I could incorporate sound advice about brain nutrition into my practice.

It just so happens that a few weeks ago an international conference devoted to nutrition and brain health was held in Washington, D.C. This consortium of brain researchers urged the healthcare attendees to adhere to the following seven guidelines for brain health in order to decrease their own (and their patients’) risk of Alzheimer’s and to promote the brain’s well-being.

1.  Avoid saturated fats and hydrogenated oils

Saturated fat is found primarily in dairy products and meats, and hydrogenated oil is often listed on the package’s Nutrition Facts as trans fat. Please be aware that foods with less than 0.5 grams of trans fat per serving size can actually be labeled as free of trans fat. Overdo it with food items that use this deceptive labeling rule and you’re getting a toxic load of this “Frankenfat.”
So remember that hydrogenated oil—which is commonly found in bar margarines, cake and biscuit mixes, vegetables shortenings, and fried fast foods—is a tell-tale ingredient that points to the presence of trans fats. Studies in New York, Finland, and Chicago have found that people who consume the largest amounts of these fats are 2 to 3 times more likely to develop Alzheimer’s than their low-fat counterparts.

2.  Focus on vegetables, legumes (beans, peas, and lentils), fruits, and whole grains

These fiber-, vitamin-, and mineral-rich foods are the foundation of the so-called Mediterranean diet, which has been associated with lowering the risk of problems with learning and memory. They should be the primary staples of your everyday diet.

3.  Eat a generous ounce of nuts or seeds every day

Here’s a way to eyeball this amount: An ounce is about two heaping tablespoons of something, or a very small handful. This quantity of nuts and seeds is enough to provide you with a healthy amount of vitamin E, a nutrient shown by population to lower rates of Alzheimer’s. Other healthful sources of vitamin E: papayas, avocados, tomatoes, spinach, and fortified cereals.

4.  Identify a reliable source of vitamin B12 (cobalamin)

Possible sources of B12—a nutrient not found in many foods—include fortified foods, nutritional yeast, or a supplement that provides at least the recommended daily allowance for B12, which for adults is 2.4 micrograms (mcg) per day. Cobalamin joins forces with 2 other B vitamins, folate (sometimes called B9) and pyridoxine (B6), to reduce blood levels of homocysteine, high levels of which have been linked to a decline in mental acuity.

 5. When shopping for a multiple vitamin, choose one without iron or copper

You should take an iron supplement only when your physician tells you to. Studies have linked excessive dietary levels of copper and iron to cognitive problems.

6.  Beware of ingesting high amounts of aluminum

This mineral may be in baking powder and antacids. Some researchers have linked diets high in aluminum with neurotoxic affects and an increased risk of Alzheimer’s, although these findings remain controversial.

7.  Get moving!

In your exercise regimen each week, include at least three sessions of aerobic exercise such as brisk walking. Work up to where you can make each of these bouts last for 40 minutes.

By Rosanna Gibbons, MS, RD, LDN