A recent study, published in Neurology, found that incorporating whole foods such as leafy greens, veggies, and some fruits into your daily diet can reduce your risk of developing dementia by 48 percent. Foods such as kale, spinach, tomatoes, and pears were found to help prevent cognitive decline.
The flavanols—anti-inflammatory properties found in fruits and vegetables—are thought to help reduce damage to cells that can potentially cause Alzheimer’s.
While there is no cure for Alzheimer’s disease, more evidence is surfacing that shows your lifestyle and diet may be able to help ward it off. A recent study published in Neurology found that what you eat is not only good for your body, but also beneficial for your brain. Eating leafy greens, veggies, and berries daily plus drinking tea can help reduce your risk of dementia by 48 percent.
The study looked at the eating habits of 921 people in the Rush Memory and Aging Project who complete annual neurological evaluations and dietary assessments that include reporting the frequency they ate 144 foods over the previous year.
The results showed that those who had a high intake of flavanols, an antioxidant that helps reduce inflammation, were 48 percent less likely to later develop dementia than the people in the lowest intake group. That’s likely because the anti-inflammatory properties of flavanols can prevent over-activation of inflammatory cells, helping to reduce cellular damage.