Food For Keeping Your Brain Sharp

A combination of the popular Mediterranean and DASH diets, an eating plan known as the MIND diet may help reduce your risk for Alzheimer's disease.

Alzheimer's disease, a degenerative brain disorder, impacts an estimated 5 million Americans. While there is no known cure, recent research suggests that a diet filled with fresh, whole foods may lower the likelihood of developing the disease.

The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet and the Mediterranean diet inspired the MIND diet, an eating plan designed to improve brain health. Simplicity is at the heart of this diet, formally known as the Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay.

Filled with nutrients known to boost the brain, the following categories of food are recommended as part of the MIND diet. Consume the recommended number of servings to gain their brain-boosting benefits.

• Lean poultry – two or more per week
• Olive oil – use with all cooking
• Various fish – one per week
• Whole grains – three or more per day
• Wine – a glass per day
• Assorted nuts – five per week
• Beans – three or more per week
• Berries – two or more per week
• Leafy greens – six or more per week
• Colorful vegetables – one per day

While there is no surefire way to prevent Alzheimer's disease, maintaining a healthy body has been shown to benefit your mind. For example, keeping stress and blood pressure levels low may improve your heart health, and by extension, improve the flow of blood to the brain.

To stay at your peak of physical fitness, talk with your doctor about diet and exercise plans that work best for you. You may also discuss managing any health conditions that can increase your risk for Alzheimer's disease, such as diabetes and obesity.

Many conditions may be effectively managed by adopting a healthy lifestyle, which includes getting enough sleep each night and engaging daily in calming activities. Evening walks, meditation sessions and yoga classes may be just what the doctor ordered.

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