Eating For Health

Almost everyone knows someone affected by dementia. It’s no surprise that people often ask whether diet can play a role in protecting long‑term brain health. Emerging research suggests the answer may be yes — and one everyday B vitamin may be especially powerful. A long-term Japanese study found that higher intakes of certain B vitamins, especially riboflavin (vitamin B2) , were linked to a significantly lower risk of developing disabling dementia. Even better? These nutrients are found in familiar, accessible foods. 🥛🍳🥬 🔍 What Was the Long-Term Study? Researchers in Japan followed 4,171 adults ages 40–69 for more than 15 years , tracking who developed disabling dementia using national long‑term care insurance records. They compared participants’ dietary intake of B vitamins — from lowest to highest — and calculated how vitamin intake is related to dementia risk. ⭐ Which B Vitamin Stood Out? Among all B vitamins studied, riboflavin (vitamin B2) showed the strongest...

My husband showed me an interesting article in the Wall Street Journal, Is Your Brain Aging Faster Than You?  New Clues Emerge .   In the article, a man was experiencing issues like no longer being able to play the bagpipes as he made too many mistakes, then forgetting things.   At 56 years old, he was diagnosed with dementia.   What are the risk factors dementia? Age is the highest risk factor for dementia and one you can’t change. Type 2 diabetes is a risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease.   Other risk factors include obesity, high blood pressure, smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, physical in activity, poor diet, and hearing loss.   Some more risk factors are noted in Risk factors for dementia . What lifestyle changes can potentially slow and maybe even reverse some cognitive decline?   There are two lifestyle changes one can make that are often noted in research: diet and physical activity . NIH states, “Emerging epidemiologica...

Have you ever heard of brain food?   Foods you can eat for a healthier brain.     Researchers have found that the food we eat greatly affects our brain health.   Besides the food we eat, staying hydrated also affects our cognitive function.   Why is hydration important for brain health?   I always told my students that before an exam they should drink some water.   Why?   Because even being slightly dehydrated affects cognitive function.   A 1% dehydration level can lead to “a 5% decrease in cognitive function”.     A 2% level of dehydration “can result in short term memory loss”, what some people call “brain fog”.   Besides drinking plain water, many beverages are good for hydration including 100% juice and cow’s milk.   (See:   What beverage is most effective for staying hydrated? ) What researchers have found about diet and brain health. Researchers at the University of Warwick studied diet and brain heal...

Everyone has heard of Alzheimer’s and you may know people who have suffered from Alzheimer’s disease.   My sister called my attention to an article in Forbes magazine, People with Alzheimer’s disease tend to be deficient in these 5 nutrients that ‘help keep brains in top condition at all ages’ researchers say.   What are these 5 nutrients and how do these nutrients help protect against Alzheimer’s disease?   These research findings are interesting to me not only as a nutritionist but the work Forbes cited was done at the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine by Professor Kathleen Dorey. What was the study and what other studies have been done? Virginia Tech scientists analyzed the brains of 31 donors, average age 75.   Most but not all of the donors had died with Alzheimer’s.   The scientists found that those with Alzheimer’s had brains with only half the level of 5 nutrients.   NIH has also studied diet in preventing Alzheimer’s Disease. ...