Nutrition researchers have made an amazing discovery about the link between eating and brain power. A 4-year study of more than 2,000 people published in the Annals of Neurology shows there is a specific diet that appears to significantly reduce your risk for Alzheimer's disease.
What is falling from these trees are walnuts. This new study found that the kind of fat that is in them incorporated into what's called the mediterranean way of eating can reduce your risk of getting Alzheimer's by up to 40%. The Mediterranean food plan is made up of more fruits and vegetables, more fish, and more healthy fats than the American way of eating. Researchers who have studied these good fats (unsaturated fats) say they are simply used differently by the body than bad fats that are hard or solid at room temperature. "You incorporate that into the membranes of your cells," explained Dr. Debbie Clegg, a researcher at the University of Cincinnati. "It probably changes the cellular signaling, the interaction of hormones outside a cell activating hormones inside the cell." Researchers say keeping the signals strong in the body may keep the signals strong in the brain. The good news is that that means this research shows that there are several things you can do right now that will help build better brain power in the future. The top four eating habits associated with the lowest Alzheimer's risk include the following:
high intake of vegetables
beans
fruits
fish
cereals
A high intake of unsaturated fats, like the kind in olive oil and nuts
A low intake of meats and saturated fats
Mild to moderate alcohol consumption
