Best Diet for Brain Health

What is the Best Diet for Brain Health

A healthy diet is an important part of overall wellness, and it may help to improve brain function.

Eating a healthy diet can lower the risk of having memory-loss diseases such as Alzheimers disease or dementia, or it can slow down the progression of those diseases.

Depending on your overall health and any other health conditions you have, you may need to follow specific diet guidelines. Work with your health care provider or diet and nutrition specialist (dietitian) to find and follow an eating plan that is right for you.

What are tips for following this plan?

Reading food labels

• Check food labels for Daily Value (DV) percentages. Aim for a DV of 5% or less for:
  • Saturated fats.
  • Trans fats.
  • Cholesterol.
  • Salt (sodium).
• Choose whole grains instead of processed grains. The first ingredient in the ingredient list should include words like “whole grain” or “whole wheat.”

Shopping

• Before you go grocery shopping, plan your meals and make a shopping list.
• Look for lean meats, fish, low-fat dairy products, fruits and vegetables, and whole grains.
• Avoid buying processed or pre-made foods. These are higher in added sugar, fat, and sodium.

Cooking

• Use healthy oils such as olive oil, instead of butter or margarine.
• Avoid frying foods. Healthier ways of cooking include roasting, baking, poaching, and steaming.
• Keep in mind that many healthy foods can be prepared without cooking, such as tuna, nuts, beans, and fruits.

Meal planning

• Plan to eat one or more servings of each of these every day:
  • Green leafy vegetables.
  • Nuts.
  • Whole grains.
• Plan to eat berries, beans, fish, and poultry two or more times every week.
• Avoid red meats, butter, cheese, sweets, and fried foods.
• Eat several small meals throughout the day. For example, eat 6 small meals rather than 3 full-size meals.

General tips

• If you have difficulty chewing or swallowing:
  • Choose foods that are tender, soft, and moist.
  • Avoid foods that are sticky, hard, dry, chewy, or crunchy.
  • Cut foods into pieces that are smaller than your thumbnail.
• If you are underweight:
  • Add extra protein or calories to meals by adding cream, nut butters, or protein powder to foods and drinks.
  • Drink nutritional supplement shakes as told by your health care provider or dietitian.
• Drink plenty of fluids to keep your urine pale yellow.
• Limit alcohol intake to no more than 1 drink a day for nonpregnant women and 2 drinks a day for men. One drink equals 12 oz of beer, 5 oz of wine, or 1½ oz of hard liquor.
• Take daily vitamin and mineral supplements as told by your health care provider or dietitian.
• Follow daily calorie and nutrient intake goals as told by your dietitian.

What foods are recommended?

• Foods that are high in omega-3s (omega-3 fatty acids). Omega-3s are often found in coldwater fish. They are also found in ground flaxseed, walnuts, edamame, and seaweed.
  • It is recommended that adults eat 8 oz (230 g) or more of fish or other seafood every week.
  • The best kinds of fish for omega-3s are wild salmon, albacore, tuna, sardines, and farmed trout.
  • It is important to bake or grill fish instead of frying it, to avoid unhealthy fats.
• Foods that contain vitamins C, D, and E. These foods include:
  • Avocados.
  • Beans.
  • Nuts and seeds.
  • Green leafy vegetables, like spinach and kale.
  • Cruciferous vegetables, like broccoli or Brussels sprouts.
• Cherries and berries, especially blackberries and blueberries. Berries have antioxidants and nutrients that support memory.
• Whole grains, such as oatmeal, whole-grain cereal, whole-grain bread, brown rice, and barley soup.
• Herbs and spices. Cooking with certain herbs and spices, such as turmeric, can help you absorb vitamins.
• Foods in the Mediterranean diet or the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet. Your health care provider may recommend eating a combination of these diets. These diets recommend that you:
  • Eat green leafy vegetables, nuts, and whole grains every day.
  • Drink one glass of wine a day.
  • Eat berries, beans, fish, and poultry two or more times every week.
  • Limit red meats, butter, cheese, sweets, fried foods, and fast food to once a week or less.

Healthy breakfast foods, such as whole-grain cereal, low-fat yogurt, berries or vegetables, and nuts. Eating breakfast every day can boost brain function and concentration for people of all ages.

What foods are not recommended?

• Foods that are high in transfats, including:
  • Fried foods.
  • Snack foods.
  • Pastries like cookies and donuts, especially the ones that come prepackaged.
• Foods that are high in saturated fats, including:
  • Processed meats, like sausage or deli meat.
  • Red meat.
  • Certain dairy products like butter, margarine, and certain cheeses.
• Processed grains, such as white bread.
• Sweets and fast food. Limit these types of food to once a week or less.

Summary

• Eating a nutritious diet can support brain health as well as overall wellness.
• Choose foods that are high in omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins, and whole grains.
• Avoid foods that contain transfats and saturated fats, and limit sweets and fast food.