As the years go by, we worry more and more about the evolution of our weight, the state of our skin or the loss of muscle tone, visual acuity or hearing ability, but do we monitor and care for the brain in the same way?
The way in which that great director of the organic orchestra “moves the baton” can mentally influence whether we look or feel more or less young and if that organ becomes ill or ages prematurely, due to neurodegenerative or cardiovascular ailments, it can lead to the decline of the rest of our body.
That is why it is essential to do everything possible to keep our brain in good shape and prevent it from getting sick, atrophy or deteriorate, in line with the increase in life expectancy. We live longer, but they will only be useful to us if we manage to live them with a good quality of life.
“Good nutrition is one of the keys to reducing the risk of our brain “growing wrinkles,” that is, to establish organic conditions that can help prevent, delay or reduce brain aging,” they say from the Neolife Clinic. (www.neolifesalud.com), specialized in medical age management.
“According to the PREDIMED clinical trial, the effectiveness of the Mediterranean diet in the prevention of cardiovascular disease and its main risk factors is demonstrated, being capable of significantly reducing the incidence of complications,” Neolife indicates.
“This study suggests that adherence to a type of Mediterranean diet reduces cardiovascular events, including stroke, which could directly and indirectly influence the development of dementia,” according to Alejandro Monzó, dietitian-nutritionist at the Nutrition Unit of this clinic.
“The incidence of major cardiovascular events was lower among those who followed a Mediterranean diet supplemented with extra virgin olive oil or nuts, as confirmed by the PREDIMED study,” says the specialist.
“From this study it is clear that the Mediterranean diet could have a protective nature against cognitive deterioration, by promoting less vascular deterioration and a reduction in cellular oxidation,” according to Monzó.
“Other research suggests that those who follow a healthy eating pattern could have larger brains than those who eat in an unhealthy way, for example with too many sugary drinks,” according to this specialist in clinical, hospital and geriatric nutrition.
“This can translate into a greater capacity for thinking and managing the tools that the brain offers us: calculation, reasoning, memory and deduction,” he reflects.
Monzó refers to a population-based investigation by the Erasmus University Medical Center (Rotterdam, Netherlands), on the factors that determine the appearance of different diseases, including neurological ones, in older people.
According to Monzó, the so-called ‘Rotterdam Study’ found that following a healthy diet is beneficial for the brain, and that “especially the consumption of fruits and vegetables is related to greater volumes in specific regions of the brain.”
According to the nutritionist, the Dutch researchers found that fruit consumption “was more prominently associated with greater total brain volume, white matter volume, and hippocampal volume, while dairy consumption was related to a higher greater volume of gray matter.”
KEYS TO BRAIN NUTRITION.
Diet is a determining factor in cognitive deterioration and dementia that can be modified, according to the Rotterdam experts, something with which Monzó agrees, who recommends regularly including the following “brain-friendly” nutrients in our daily diet: .
Monounsaturated fatty acids.- “These healthy dietary fats play a relevant protective role in cell membranes. They are present in avocado, nuts (almonds, cashews and walnuts), olive oil and olives,” Monzó explains to EFE.
Omega-3 fatty acids.- “These polyunsaturated fatty acids, abundant in cold water fatty fish (salmon, mackerel, tuna, herring and sardines) and walnuts, exert their protective nature thanks to their beneficial effects, through different mechanisms on our circulatory system, blood vessels. and fat metabolism,” according to Monzó. “Given that a direct relationship between cardiovascular disease and the onset of dementia, including Alzheimer’s, has been described, reducing cardiovascular risk could reduce the risk of dementia,” he corroborates.
Vitamin A.- “It contributes to the plasticity of synapses, that is, the connections between neurons in the hippocampus, the part of the brain vital in memory consolidation. It is present in eggs and lean meat, among other foods,” according to Monzó.
Hierro.- “It is important in the regulation of brain development and energy metabolism. We find it in legumes and spinach, among other foods,” he points out.
Zinc.- “Involved in cognitive development and the senses of taste and smell, we can obtain it through the consumption of shellfish, hazelnuts and almonds,” according to Monzó.
Vitamin C “It is an antioxidant par excellence, it intervenes in the transformation of brain chemistry substances such as dopamine and noradrenaline. Citrus fruits, beets or spinach have significant amounts of this vitamin,” according to Monzó.
Vitamin E.- “It is involved in the protection of the lipid membrane of brain cells and has a great antioxidant capacity. We find it in dried fruits, nuts, seeds, corn vegetable oils, green leafy vegetables and fortified cereals,” says the nutritionist.
Vitamin D.- “In addition to exerting an antioxidant function, this vitamin regulates the ability to maintain the correct function of brain nervous tissue,” explains Monzó.
He points out that some foods rich in vitamin D are: fatty fish (salmon, tuna, mackerel), fish liver oils, beef liver, cheese and egg yolk.
Vitamin B12.- “This vitamin is necessary to preserve the myelin sheath around neurons and for the synthesis of brain substances,” says Monzó.
It indicates that vitamin B12 “is found naturally in foods of animal origin (beef liver, clams, fish, poultry, eggs and dairy products) and that foods of plant origin do not contain it unless they are fortified.”
By Pablo Gutman.
EFE/REPORTS
#Foods #brain #young
