The number of dementia cases increases. But with the right diet, the brain stays fit for a long time. Which foods should ideally land on the plate every day, according to scientists.
Fulda – The number of people in Germany who develop dementia. Younger generations are also increasingly affected. Although the neurodegenerative disease is still considered to be incurable, experts agree that there are ways to promote the health of the brain and to preserve as long as possible.
Two foods help to reduce the risk of dementia
Table of Contents
On the one hand, it is crucial to control large risk factors such as high blood pressure, obesity and lack of exercise. On the other hand, good social contacts, mental activity and an overall healthy lifestyle are important. Numerous studies show that such a lifestyle is central to prevent diseases such as dementia and Alzheimer’s.
But what exactly does a “healthy lifestyle” characterize? In addition to regular exercise and sufficient sleep, nutrition is of crucial importance. The often recommended Mediterranean diet, which according to a report of 24.vita.de Can prevent inflammation in the brain, the scientist and author Dr. Barbara Plagg in her book “Smart up to the coffin – healthy brain, strong memory”.
Video: This sport is best protected against the disease
A recently carried out long-term project showed that people with Mediterranean eating habits had fewer Alzheimer’s typical deposits in the brain after their death. On the basis of these findings, researchers developed the Mind Diet in 2015, which aims to promote the health of the brain and heart.
“The more you eat at least like, the better you are protected against dementia and neuron reduction,” explains Plagg, who researches at the Institute for General Medicine and Public Health in Bozen, based on previous studies. She recommends two foods that should best be on the menu every day.
Best eat daily: whole grains and vegetables
The expert advises at least three portions per day Whole grain products. For example in the form of wholemeal bread, wholemeal pasta, oatmeal or as barley, brown rice, quinoa, millet, bulgur, amaranth or wholemeal cracker. The second food group, which looks greatly preventive, is Vegetables. These include carrots, broccoli, peppers, cucumbers, eggplants, asparagus, peas and celery. Supplemented by green leafy vegetables, which according to the Plagg should be an integral part of the menu at least six times a week.
Other food groups, for which the expert advises several times a week, are: at least five portions of nuts, at least four meals with beans, at least two portions of berries, at least two meals with poultry and a meal with fish. The expert from South Tyrol should be used when cooking and serving salads, especially olive oil should be used.
Plagg indicates that healthy eating does not have to be expensive: “In addition to the money, you don’t have to count the vitamins, it is enough if you put color. Colorful is good because different varieties often contain different nutrients, which in turn is good for the microbiome in the intestine. “In order for us to receive diversity, experts recommend eating at least 30 different types of fruit and vegetables per week.
These foods are better only consumed in small quantities
Anyone who also takes into account the recommendations for the food that should end up on the plate as rarely as possible has already achieved a lot: As part of the mind diet, the expert advises less than five portions of pastries and sweets and less than four portions of red meat per week.
Cheese and fried dishes should be consumed less than once a week, and butter and margarine should be limited to less than one tablespoon per day.
These recommendations match further studies that emphasize the importance of a healthy diet and warn of the frequent consumption of greatly processed food. A high proportion of ultra -high -processing foods at daily energy supply is in adults in connection with cognitive dismantling, according to Brazilian researchers.
You can find more articles on the subject of health in our advisory department.
