Scientists have found that the optimal diet consists of fish, pulses and vegetables.
For anyone worried about their risk of developing dementia as they age, Scientists have recently discovered the optimal age to eat healthily to help prevent your brain from declining.
According to researchers, when a person is in their 50’s and 60’s, it is the best time to stick to a healthy diet to help reduce their risk.
Dementia is known as a collection of symptoms that can cause the decline in a person’s cognitive function. This can affect their memory, thinking, reasoning and ability to perform everyday tasks.
Dementia is more common in older people, so finding and taking preventative actions at a younger age can help lessen the risks while also keeping you fit and healthy.
However, this is not to say that younger people are currently safe from the symptoms as unfortunately rates are rising in the amount of Brits with young-onset dementia.
Experts at the University of Oxford found that people between the ages of 48 and 70 who followed a diet rich in fish, pulses and vegetables, with limited sugary treats, saw improvements in their brain activity.
These positive changes were noted in areas of the brain that typically decline before a dementia diagnosis, reports the Express.
In the study, researchers observed the dietary habits of 512 Brits over a span of 11 years. They also tracked the waist to hip ratio of 664 people over a follow up of 21 years.
It was found that those who had less fat around their middle during this stage of life had an improved memory and more flexible thinking as they reached an older age.
Believing their findings are significant, the scientists are urging the public to think of “strategies to improve” their own diets as these changes could help maintain their brain structure and slash their risk of developing dementia.
In JAMA Network Open, researchers wrote: “The global shift toward unhealthy dietary habits is associated with an increase in the prevalence of diabetes, cardiovascular disease and obesity, all of which are known risk factors for dementia.
“It is important to consider the implications of overall diet and central obesity for memory and associated brain regions, such as the hippocampus.”
At the start of the study, MRI scans and cognitive performance tests were conducted, which were again repeated when participants, on average, reached the age of 70. This was done to monitor their progress and check for any signs of cognitive decline.
Researchers found that participants who stuck with a healthier midlife diet showed improved connectivity between the left hippocampus – which is crucial for memory and processing – and the occipital lobe, the brain’s primary centre for visual processing.
