• Avoid high glycemic carbohydrate diets: Carbs with high glycemic index have been shown to increase inflammation and oxidative stress leading to dementia.
• Eliminate completely high sugar diets: Even intermittent small blood sugar elevations lead to dementia …even in non-diabetics.
• Eat 1 ounce of nuts per day: They provides a great source of vitamin E.
• Avoid trans fats and fast food: Numerous studies from different countries show a dose/response relationship of increased depression and anxiety, not to mention heart disease and early death.
• Real fruit is better than fruit juice: Real fruit is loaded with natural sugar but it has equal amounts of fiber that help metabolize it. Real fruit is always a good choice, not the juice.
• Eat more eggs: Don’t worry about the cholesterol in eggs. Eggs provide perfect protein in a nutrient-rich, low-calorie, low-fat package.
Diets high in fruits, vegetables, fish, plant oils, nuts and whole grains, with lower intakes of sugar, processed meat, and animal fats, are likely to be the best bet in supporting the health of our brain as well as the rest of our body. If you eat this way you should not need vitamins or dietary supplements to maintain health.
Pay attention to everything you put into your body and lower your risk of disease and poor health.
This post originally appeared at Everything Health. Toni Brayer, MD, FACP, is an ACP Internist editorial board member who blogs at EverythingHealth, designed to address the rapid changes in science, medicine, health and healing in the 21st Century.
