Diet Trick Grows a Bigger BETTER Brain
I watched over my stepdad with Alzheimer’s. So, I know firsthand what it puts its victims through—and the burden it places on family and caretakers.
I also know that watching a loved one fade away can strike fear in your heart about your own future (especially after the third time you forgot where you put your car keys… today.)
The reality is, you can’t be passive about your brain health.
If you’re not taking intentional steps to protect your cognitive function and reduce your risk of dementia, there’s a good chance you’re taking unintentional steps that INCREASE your risk.
This is especially true when it comes to your diet.
Research shows that if you’re not feeding your brain the nutrients it needs to support healthy cognitive function, then your brain—and its ability to function—could be SHRINKING with each passing year.
But we can fix that starting today with foods that PRESERVE brain health and give you a BIGGER brain.
There’s a reason fish is referred to as “brain food.” Fish oil is jam-packed with omega-3 fatty acids. And research confirms our brains LOVE the stuff.
Researchers measured the blood levels of the omega-3 fatty acids DHA and EPA in a selected group of participants in the Framingham Heart Study. Then they compared those numbers to…
- MRI brain scans of their brain volume (including gray matter and hippocampal and white matter volumes)
- cognitive function tests on memory and reasoning
Adding all of these factors together presented a clear picture of the role omega-3s play in brain health:
Having a higher blood level of omega-3s correlated to a BIGGER brain and BETTER cognitive function.
But the benefits didn’t end there. Omega-3s also conferred additional protection to folks carrying a gene predisposing them to Alzheimer’s (the APOE-e4 gene).
Participants with higher DHA levels had larger hippocampal volumes. And those with higher EPA levels did better at abstract reasoning.
The only problem with omega-3s is that your body doesn’t produce them on its own. That means you must get these critical fats from your diet.
Fortunately, just two servings per week of fatty fish like salmon, tuna, or sardines can provide all the omega-3s your brain and body need.
P.S. Bumping up omega-3 levels isn’t the only way to combat brain shrink. Reducing THIS brain-shrinking “habit” can help, too.
SOURCE:
“Association of Red Blood Cell Omega-3 Fatty Acids With MRI Markers and Cognitive Function in Midlife – The Framingham Heart Study,” Neurology 12.22, 99 (23) e2572-e2582; DOI: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000201296
