To protect your brain, is it better to eat plenty of whole grains or limit your carbohydrate intake? Is the Mediterranean diet a good choice, and what about Paleo? Over the next few weeks, join us as we examine the science behind several diets claiming to promote cognitive vitality.
Diet is essential to health, including brain health, which is why a healthy diet is the first step we recommend to achieve cognitive vitality. Though the scientific evidence behind diets isn’t always robust, we will investigate the available data and consider how unique groups might respond to them. For example, many elderly people have a serious risk of frailty and muscle loss, which might be worsened by some popular diets that restrict calories or protein.
Our reviews will begin with three diets that have the strongest evidence to-date for potential benefits to the brain. The Mediterranean, DASH, and MIND diets share many similarities, emphasizing green leafy vegetables, nuts, and berries while suggesting that processed foods be avoided. Later, we’ll investigate other diet choices, including gluten-free, low-carb, Paleo, veganism, and intermittent fasting.
In each case, remember that individuals will respond to diets in unique ways, and any major change in dietary habits should be accompanied by input from a doctor.
Nick McKeehan is a member of the ADDF's Aging and Alzheimer's Prevention program. He evaluates the scientific evidence for and against therapies to promote brain health and/or prevent Alzheimer's disease at our website CognitiveVitality.org and contributes regularly to the site's blog. Mr. McKeehan previously served as Chief Intern at Mid Atlantic Bio Angels (MABA) and was a research technician at Albert Einstein College of Medicine investigating repair capabilities of the brain. Mr. McKeehan received a bachelor of science degree in biology from Purdue University, where he was awarded a Howard Hughes Scholarship. He also writes about the biotechnology industry for 1st Pitch Life Science.
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