Eating processed, sugary, or fried foods is the number one habit that can lead to premature brain aging and cognitive decline, increasing the risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. A new study published Jan. 7 in Alzheimer’s & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association noted that eating foods found in the typical Western diet can enhance the benefits of the Mediterranean diet that have been proven to keep the heart and brain healthy can actually nullify.
According to Eat This, Not That! Researchers followed more than 5,000 people for 20 years and found that those who followed the Mediterranean diet that emphasizes fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fish while avoiding red meat, processed, and fried foods had brains that last 5.8 years were younger than the people who strayed from the diet.
Participants with slower cognitive decline over the years of follow-up were those who followed the Mediterranean diet closest along with restrictive foods that are part of the Western diet, while participants who ate more of the Western diet had no beneficial effect of healthy diet components in slowing cognitive decline, ”the study authors wrote.
Puja Agarwal, Ph.D., one of the top researchers at Rush University Medical Center, said ScienceDaily that “Eating a diet that emphasizes vegetables, fresh fruits, fish and whole grains can positively impact a person’s health. But when combined with fried foods, sweets, refined grains and red meats, and processed meats, we’ve found that the benefits of eating the Mediterranean portion of the diet seem to diminish. “
Agarwal added that the “more leafy greens, berries, olive oil and fish we include in our diet, the better it is for our aging brains and bodies,” said Eat This, Not That! More benefits and information about the Mediterranean diet can be found here.
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