BRAIN AND MENTAL HEALTH CONDITIONS

The brain is highly responsive to chemical intervention, whether that’s through medicines or via foods. Here, we cover common age-related conditions that significantly affect health and how these can be addressed through adapting the foods that you eat.

DEMENTIA

With our ageing populations, dementia has become a much more familiar term in everyday parlance. But dementia isn’t a disease as such, it’s an umbrella term for various symptoms, such as memory loss, confusion, and personality change.

Don’t let worries over not being able to remember a name or where you put your to-do list lead you to a self-diagnosis of dementia. The brain’s functions – especially in the memory-forming areas – are affected by age, but individuals are affected very differently. That said, keeping mentally sharp can compensate for age-related declines.

A 2016 study found that DHA (an omega-3 fat in fish) boosts the cognitive effects of B vitamins in greens.

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia (40–70 per cent), followed by vascular dementia (15–30 per cent), and a minority with other types. The parts of the brain most affected in Alzheimer’s disease are the hippocampus and the amygdala.

While many people with dementia are over 65, dementia is not an inevitable part of ageing; though, the likelihood of developing dementia does rise with age. Symptoms of dehydration can be confused with dementia, what’s more dehydration can cause and aggravate dementia. So, be sure to keep yourself well hydrated.

Several studies suggest that “oxidative stress” may play a role in the changes that cause Alzheimer’s disease. Such free-radical attack of brain cells can lead to damage similar to that seen in those with Alzheimer’s disease. Since antioxidants counter the effects of free radicals, researchers propose that foods rich in antioxidants can help reduce the likelihood of Alzheimer’s disease. A diet rich in fresh fruit and vegetables (and thus antioxidants) also reduces free-radical damage in the blood supply to the brain also cuts the risk of a stroke (see below).

EAT PLENTY

Fresh fruit and vegetables (particularly berries, red peppers, leafy greens), fish and shellfish, olive oil, spices

LIMIT

Processed foods, salt, saturates

STROKE AND MINI-STROKE

You can think of a stroke as a “brain attack”; similar to a heart attack, in a stroke the blood supply to the brain is cut off suddenly. The exact consequences of a stroke or a mini-stroke (TIA, or transient ischaemic attack) depends on where exactly the event happens and for how long the event persisted (and so deprived the brain of vital oxygen and nutrients). So, to protect your brain against a stroke, you need to look after your heart (see also here). Since stroke and heart conditions are major causes of death, all recipes in the longevity eating plan has been designed with these in mind. To minimize your risk of stroke, eat plenty of antioxidant-rich foods, and avoid salt and refined foods.

EAT PLENTY

Fresh fruit and vegetables (particularly berries, beetroot, garlic, tomatoes), fish and shellfish, olive oil

LIMIT

Processed foods, salt

INSOMNIA

Insomnia – difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep – can have many causes but improvements in sleep quality and quantity can be linked to diet. Sleep deprivation spells disaster for heart and brain health.

Studies have shown that food can directly affect how well we sleep. Key mineral deficiencies, such as calcium and magnesium, may be linked to sleep disorders. Boost calcium intake via reduced-fat dairy products and muscle-relaxing magnesium by eating wholegrains, leafy greens, nuts and seeds. Foods such as fish, eggs, and beans are rich in tryptophan, which helps to boost serotonin levels, which in turn is converted into sleep-inducing melatonin. Finally, avoid eating large meals late at night – indigestion interferes with sleep quality.

EAT PLENTY

Yogurt, eggs, wholegrains, pulses, leafy greens, fish, nuts, seeds

LIMIT

Caffeinated drinks after midday

DEPRESSION

Everyone has times of feeling down, which is normal, but not wanting to get out of bed, feeling hopeless, or being persistently sad for weeks at a time could be depression. The causes of depression are many and complex: research suggests that depression isn’t just a simple chemical imbalance, but could also include genetic vulnerability, medications, and faulty mood regulation.

Luckily, what we eat may help to protect against depression. First and foremost, eat regularly and choose starchy, fibre-rich foods to prevent low blood sugar levels, which can leave us feeling irritable and miserable. Include plenty of foods rich in tryptophan (see Insomnia, above) to boost levels of feel-good serotonin. Low blood levels of vitamin D have also been linked to depression, so eat top up vitamin D levels. Seafood has been linked to a better mood in several studies, possibly thanks to its brain-friendly omega-3 fats. A review of 26 studies found adults who ate the most fish were 17 per cent less likely to become depressed than those what ate the least.

A 2017 study showed that a Med-style diet cut symptoms of depression by 32.3 per cent.

A study in 2017 looked specifically at the impact of diet on depression. It concluded that a Mediterranean-style diet can treat depression. In the study symptoms were reduced by 32.3 per cent.

EAT PLENTY

Bananas, eggs, wholegrains, lentils, beetroot, leafy greens, fish, nuts, seeds

LIMIT

Alcohol, caffeine, processed foods