Feeding Our Brain Power: What To Eat for Mental Acuity

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that about one in 10 adults aged 45 and older experience worsening memory loss or cognitive decline, a precursor to dementia. A 2022 study in JAMA Neurology indicates that 22 percent of adults over age 65 experience mild cognitive impairment. Our dietary choices significantly impact brain longevity, and what we avoid is equally important.

The late pioneering researcher Dr. Martha Clare Morris developed the MIND Diet, which merges the Mediterranean and DASH (dietary approaches to stop hypertension) diets to enhance cognitive function with plenty of delicious versatility. A 2015 study published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia found that strict adherence to the MIND Diet can reduce Alzheimer’s risk by 53 percent, while moderate adherence can lower it by 35 percent.

The MIND Diet is a stress-free, lifelong plan with bountiful menu options, including fish, lean poultry, vegetables, nuts, berries, whole grains, legumes and high-quality olive oil. It accommodates gluten-free and plant-based preferences. With satiating breakfast options like Greek yogurt or scrambled eggs, spicy chili for lunch and fun dinner burrito bowls, this diet is flexible and beginner-friendly, allowing for moderate consumption of pasta, potatoes and bread, with a focus on whole-grain, complex carbohydrates over refined ones. It also recommends oven roasting instead of high-heat frying.

A Lifelong Investment

“You can never be too young to embrace brain-healthy dietary strategies in support of longevity. Early adoption of brain-healthy eating habits may also enhance cognitive reserve, strengthening the brain’s resilience to neuropathological damage over time,” says neuroscientist Kristen Willeumier, founder and CEO of the Willeumier Center for Advanced Research in Neurotrauma & Brain Rehabilitation, in California.

Embracing variety is important. “I like to have people think of brain-healthy food groups, not superfoods,” states Annie Fenn, M.D., founder of the Brain Health Kitchen and author of The Brain Health Kitchen: Preventing Alzheimer’s Through Food. Fenn notes that women are more likely to develop Alzheimer’s than men “for reasons that have nothing to do with living longer. Alzheimer’s can start in the brain up to 30 years before the first symptoms. It’s never too early or too late. Data shows that switching to a brain-healthy diet can have benefits even in one’s 70s.”

The Link Neuroscience Institute, in California, recommends eating more colorful berries, fatty fish such as sardines, dark leafy greens, nuts and seeds, and a moderate amount of high-quality dark chocolate to protect the brain from oxidative stress, which can lead to conditions like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, as well as mood disorders, including long-term depression. They also advise against consuming processed and fried foods, sugar, alcohol and sodium.

Cutting Out the Culprits

According to Willeumier, even a modest reduction in the intake of processed foods, including packaged products, sweetened cereals, deli meats and sugary beverages, can have a positive impact on brain health. She recommends the complete elimination of alcoholic beverages. “Neuroimaging studies, including the Whitehall II Study, which followed 550 participants over a 30-year period tracking alcohol intake and cognitive performance, suggest that there is no protective effect of alcohol on the brain, even from light drinking. Eliminate alcohol for the preservation of your long-term brain health.”

Certain foods accelerate brain aging, and Fenn recommends limiting or eliminating fast and fried foods, sugar, artificially sweetened drinks, ultra-processed products and foods that are excessively high in saturated fat like butter and some cheeses. Certain cooking techniques are also problematic. “Frying, searing and grilling directly over high heat creates inflammatory particles called advanced glycation end products, or AGEs,” explains Fenn. “Think low-and-slow when you cook—low heat, slow cooking, braising, poaching, steaming and indirect grilling.”

Willeumier notes that these healthy eating habits can have an immediate effect on brain function by influencing neurotransmitter production, stabilizing blood sugar levels, reducing inflammation and improving cerebral blood flow, all of which can also help us to live longer, maintain our focus and thinking skills, and feel happier.

Maya Whitman is a frequent writer for Natural Awakenings.

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