How to Avoid Rapid Brain Decline with Your Diet

It's no secret that what you eat can have a major impact on your health, and now research suggests that it can also affect your cognitive abilities. A recent study presented at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference in San Diego found that consuming highly processed foods, such as instant noodles, sugary drinks, or frozen meals, may be associated with a faster rate of cognitive decline. The Glycemic Index (GI) is a measure of how quickly food is converted to glucose when broken down during digestion; the faster a food is converted to glucose in the body, the higher its ranking on the GI. The effects of food on cognition and emotions may start before the act of eating itself, since the memory of food through sensory olfactory and visual inputs can alter the emotional state of the brain. To reduce your risk of rapid brain decline, it is important to focus on eating a healthy diet that is rich in fresh fruits and vegetables.

Eating whole foods that are low on the GI scale can help keep your blood sugar levels stable and reduce your risk for cognitive decline. Additionally, avoiding processed foods and sugary drinks can help you maintain a healthy brain. You can avoid processed foods by eating mostly fresh, whole foods, such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes, meat and fish. The results of a longitudinal study that included more than 100 years of birth, death, health and genealogical records of 300 Swedish families in an isolated village showed that a person's risk of suffering diabetes and premature death increased if their parental grandparents grew up in times of abundance of food and not in times of food shortage164. Finally, it is important to stay active and engage in activities that stimulate your mind.

Exercise has been shown to improve cognitive function and reduce the risk of dementia. So make sure to get plenty of physical activity each day to keep your brain healthy.