5 Foods That Help Lower the Risk of Dementia

Guest post by Masooma Memon

Dementia is a disease of the brain that occurs due to a number of reasons depending on the type of the disorder. For instance, damaged blood vessels that transport blood to the brain are blamed as culprits behind vascular dementia.

Likewise, the most common type of dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, occurs due to an accumulation of abnormal beta-amyloid protein in the disease-affected brain. Only a few cases of dementia can be treated, provided the damage to the brain cells is not permanent. The majority of the cases are, however, progressive and culminate in eventual loss of cognitive functioning.

Statistics paint a bleaker picture. According to the Global Voice on Dementia, as of 2015, there were roughly 46.8 million people living with the mental condition around the globe. This number is only forecasted to swell. The same source reveals that the number of dementia patients will climb to nearly 75 million and 131.5 million in 2030 and 2050, respectively. The graph presented below showcases the rise.

This leaves us with a sudden chill that runs down the spine while wondering about such a horrible neurodegenerative disorder. Scientists are still digging out a cure but to no avail. However, the good news is that you are not unarmed in this battle against the progressive brain disease.

You can always take some preventative measures to lower your odds of developing dementia. One effective preventative step is eating foods that protect your brain from damage.

In this regard, here is a look at five foods that help you reduce the risk of dementia:

1.  Omega-3 fatty acids

While omega-3s are not food items to be exact, they are essential nutrients to add to your diet. The nutrients are critical for healthy brain development. These also help curtail inflammation, which chips in the build-up of abnormal protein in the brain.

Some common sources of omega-3 fatty acids are white tuna, herring, and salmon. In addition to the seafood, you can also get your fill of omega-3s from olive oil, flaxseeds, and walnuts. You might recognize these staples from the Mediterranean diet that promotes good heart health. In fact, a study credits this meal plan for lowering the risk of dementia by as much as 35%.

2.  Blueberries

These little blue dynamos are rich in vitamins and are packed with a powerful dose of antioxidants, in particular, flavonoids. Antioxidants are applauded for their role in fighting inflammation that sits at the heart of brain damage. Not only do these berries lower the dementia risk but they also prevent memory impairment.

Researchers highlight that berries alter the way the brain cells communicate. In doing so, these prevent inflammation that culminates in neural damage. Another study found out that participants who consumed 30 milliliters of blueberry juice exhibited significant improvement in brain activity. The study also confirmed that drinking blueberry juice enhanced blood flow to the brain.

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3.  Oats

Oats are a healthy source of wholegrain foods that work to maintain consistent blood sugar and insulin levels. On the flip side, processed or highly refined foods enriched with carbs contribute to rapid fluctuations in the glucose markers.

Pairing these blood sugar level spikes with inflammation is the recipe for injuring neurons and their communication. This is why Alzheimer’s disease is referred to as, “diabetes of the brain.” Oats help beat both these culprits, so you get to kill two birds with one stone.

4.  Curry powder

Curry powder is commonly used in India and other Eastern countries. It not only adds flavor to the dishes but also diminishes the risk of dementia. The number one reason for the effectiveness of curry powder in this regard is the presence of turmeric in it. This golden spice boasts a high content of antioxidants that curtail inflammation.

Studies reveal that this super spice helps in the breakdown of amyloid-beta plaques that are the villain in the dementia tale. These also view turmeric as a potential ingredient that has the ability to treat Alzheimer’s. The researchers write, "Curcumin as an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and lipophilic action improves the cognitive functions in patients with Alzheimer's Disease.”

5.  Vitamin C and E enriched foods

The by-product of the chemical reactions going on in our brain is free radicals. These are unstable molecules that generously contribute to inflammation and damage that results in mental decline. Antioxidants are, however, the antidotes that mop up the harmful free radicals. You can get rid of this free radical pollution in your brain by including food items that are rich in vitamin C and E.

Red peppers, broccoli, and strawberries are some rich sources of vitamin C. On the other hand, you can get your share of vitamin E via almonds and olive oil. All these food items assist in minimizing the risk of the degenerative disorder. A study unveiled that folks who took vitamin E from food sources lowered their risk of developing Alzheimer’s by 67%. Research also links the intake of vitamin C with enhanced cognitive functioning.

Key takeaway:

Healthy eating is a crucial measure for reducing the risk of developing dementia. You need to include foods that are rich in flavonoids, vitamin C, vitamin E, and omega-3 fatty acids. If you are looking to follow a straightforward diet plan, then you can try the Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND) diet. It is a cross between the DASH diet and Mediterranean diet that helps cut back the odds of dementia by 34%.

About the Author

Masooma is a freelance writer by day and a novel nerd by night. She is a multi-niche writer who crafts content on everything ranging from marketing to mindfulness and health.  You can learn more about Masooma’s work and read her blog at Masooma's Portfolio

Influence of Cooking on Nutrients

All the foodstuffs we eat, except fruit and vegetable salads, require some sort of cooking or processing as they cannot be consumed in raw form.  Cooking is a culinary art form that makes the foodstuffs more palatable.  Along with that, cooking also makes the food easily digestible.  However, eating nutritious foods improves your health and energy levels.  But, the way food is cooked has a significant effect on the amount of nutrients in it.  Cooking influences the nutrients in the food items and some of them results in destruction.  Nutrients loss can be induced by several factors such as temperature, cooking time, and cooking method.

Proteins, fats, vitamins, and minerals are an essential part of our diet and nutrition.  On the other hand, carbohydrate, however, is not essential but is important for our body.  So, let’s see what happens to them when they undergo the cooking process.

Influences of Cooking on Protein:

On cooking, proteins in food items become hard and coagulate meaning they become firm.  You must have noticed the changes that occur when frying an egg.  The liquid turns solid on heating.  Isn’t it?  Yes, that process is known as coagulation.  Nonetheless, milk protein is unlike any other protein; this is an exceptional case because it does not coagulate.

Proteins are not lost as easily as vitamins and minerals during cooking, but it shrinks and hardens on overcooking, and this makes them indigestible, thus it is important to cook proteins to the right extent.  Overly heated food also affects the nutritive values of proteins.  Overcooking foodstuffs that contain protein can destroy heat-sensitive amino acids, for example, lysine; or make the protein more resistant to digestive enzymes.

Some pulses such as Bengal gram and soybean contain certain substances that inhibit the protein digestion of these foods by the enzyme trypsin (present in our intestines).  During the process of cooking, these trypsin inhibitors are destroyed.  Therefore, it becomes important not to consume these foods raw.  In fact, in several foodstuffs, the digestibility of protein improves as a result of moderate heating as in everyday cooking.

Influences of Cooking on Carbohydrate:

Carbohydrates are not essential but are important nutrients.  They come in a complex (starches and fibers) and in simple (sugars) forms.  When carbohydrates in food items are cooked, there are possibly two changes that occur i.e. gelatinization and caramelization.

Gelatinization is a process when the starch granules in foods absorb water and swell.  This process tends to thicken the soups, curries, stews to which refined flour (maida) paste is added.  It also helps in making chapattis/rotis or in the toasting of bread.  When you add certain carbohydrate food items like flour to liquids, the heat gelatinizes the carbohydrates.  Gelatinization takes place in all the starch-containing food items.

Sugar completely behaves differently.  When table sugar is heated, it forms a syrup and on further cooking, the syrup thickens and changes its color.  This is due to a process called caramelization.  The brown, thick liquid formed is known as caramel which is used in various preparations, for example, cakes and custard.  Normal cooking causes little loss of carbohydrates.

Influences of Cooking on Fats and Oils:

Our bodies need small amounts of 'good fat' to function and to be healthy.  Our usual cooking practices do not affect fats and oils in a substantial way, similarly to carbohydrates, and they are easily available to the body.

Fats and oils both are lipids.  Fats that are solid at room temperature are called as fats whereas fats which are liquids at room temperature are referred to as oils.  The temperature plays a vital role.  One should make sure not to heat fats and oils beyond its smoking point (a smoking/smoke point is the temperature at which fat/oils starts to burn and degrade) and should avoid repeated re-heating of fats because fats get broken down to form certain harmful substances when they are used repeatedly for frying.

Influences of Cooking on Vitamins and Minerals:

Vitamin and mineral loss can also be induced by various factors.  Some vitamins are fairly heat-stable, while others are heat-labile.  The factors other than heat that can destroy (some) vitamins are solubility in water, solubility in fat, exposure to air i.e oxidation, alkaline solutions, exposure to light (UV), storage losses, etc.

The water-soluble vitamins and minerals which are vitamin c, b complex vitamins (thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, biotin, folic acid etc), sodium, potassium, and chloride will be substantially lost if the liquid/water which is used for soaking, washing, and cooking is drained away.  So, throwing away the excessive cooking water also means throwing away the nutrients.  Hence, it is important to use the minimum amount of water or to utilize the liquid used for cooking.

Steaming, pressure cooking, boiling roots, and tubes with their skins limit cooking losses.  This secures the nutrients.  Cutting and peeling affect the amount of losses.  Cooking does not reduce the amounts of most of the minerals in food items which includes calcium, magnesium, sodium, copper, iron, zinc, phosphorus, iodine, manganese, chromium, and selenium.

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There are some vitamins which are heat labile.  These are vitamin c, thiamine, vitamin B 12, and folate, they are easily destroyed on excess heating.  The vitamin C is easily oxidized on exposure to air.  Vitamin A is also prone to oxidization.  These oxidized forms are of no use to the body.  Therefore, one should make sure not to peel vegetables or fruits much before use and should not cut them into small sized pieces because each piece will come in contact with air, get oxidized therefore destroying the vitamins.

Many people add sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) when cooking pulses.  You must be aware that adding soda to the pot fasten cooking process, making cooking easier, but do you know that it also knocks out the thiamine and riboflavin?  Yes, this is absolutely true that thiamine and riboflavin are easily destroyed in the presence of soda which is alkaline.  On the other hand, an acidic medium (for e.g. tomatoes, tamarind) preserves vitamins.

On a different note, fat-soluble vitamins are a class apart.  They are not influenced to any great amount by cooking in water.  Although, during roasting or shallow frying vitamin A is lost in significant amounts.  In deep frying cooking time is short and losses tend to be less.

You can preserve vitamins in foods by utilizing your foods when they are fresh, using steaming in preference to boiling, and by avoiding excessively long cooking times.