Preventing dementia has become a growing concern in middle and older age. Besides engaging in brain training through daily life, dietary maintenance is also a key principle. In fact, there are many brain-boosting foods in our daily diet that can help maintain brain health.

Mediterranean Cuisine

Mediterranean cuisine is characterized by its generous use of olive oil and a rich intake of fish, shellfish, vegetables, fruits, and nuts.

A study found that people who rarely ate Mediterranean cuisine had a 56% higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. In contrast, those who ate Mediterranean cuisine more frequently had a 35% lower risk.

In addition, it’s recommended to eat more brain-boosting foods. As the name suggests, these foods can nourish the brain, maintain brain function, and prevent dementia. The following details these foods.

Brain-Boosting Foods 1: Egg Yolks and Soybeans

Egg yolks and soy products (tofu, natto), which are high in lecithin, can enhance memory and improve cognitive function.

Brain-Boosting Food 2: Green Tea

Green tea also has beneficial effects on the brain. Green tea contains caffeine, which increases dopamine and norepinephrine, which are essential for brain cells.

Green tea also contains theanine, one of its key benefits being that it increases GABA, a calming hormone.

According to a study published by Tohoku University in Japan, people who drink a lot of green tea tend to have a lower risk of developing dementia. The study examined the relationship between green tea consumption and the incidence of dementia in 13,000 men and women aged 65 and over. The survey period was from 2007 to 2012. During this period, 8.7% of the subjects were diagnosed with dementia.

An investigation into the relationship between green tea consumption and dementia incidence found that, compared to those who didn’t drink even one cup of green tea a day, those who drank three to four cups of green tea had a 16% lower risk of dementia, and those who drank five or more cups had a 24% lower risk.

Because black tea and oolong tea didn’t have the same effect, this suggests that the effect comes from epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), a polyphenol abundant in green tea.

Brain-boosting food #3: Chocolate

A study conducted in Gamagori City, Japan, had 347 men and women aged 45 to 69 consume 25 grams of chocolate containing 72% cocoa over a four-week period. The researchers then measured changes in their blood levels.

The results showed a significant increase in brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a component of the blood that promotes the proliferation of brain nerve cells.

BDNF decreases with age, and low levels can lead to depression and cognitive decline. However, eating chocolate increases BDNF, suggesting that chocolate may be effective in preventing depression and dementia.

It’s important to note that the study used chocolate with a cocoa content of 70% or more. If you’re looking to prevent dementia, be sure to check the cocoa content before purchasing. Recently, there have been an increasing number of products featuring high cocoa content, making it easier to find.

However, according to the Japan Center for Living, consuming large amounts of chocolate with high cocoa content may actually be harmful to your health. Ultimately, everything is excessive. Of course, eating too much sweet chocolate leads to excessive sugar intake, but overdoing it because you think it’s good for your health is putting the cart before the horse.

Another point to note is that many chocolates use vegetable oil. Vegetable oil contains trans fats, which, in high concentrations, can cause inflammation and damage blood vessels. Carefully check the ingredient list on food labels and choose varieties that don’t use vegetable oil.

As previously mentioned, both sugar and trans fats can damage blood vessels and increase the risk of dementia. If you want to prevent dementia, consuming a small amount of bitter chocolate is the right approach.

Brain-Boosting Food 4: Fish

EPA and DHA, already mentioned several times, can prevent brain inflammation and improve brain function.

A report indicates that people who eat fish at least once a week have a lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. This study examined the brain cells of 286 people and found significantly lower rates of cell damage associated with Alzheimer’s disease in the brains of those who ate fish and other seafood more than once a week.

The same tendency was also found in people with the ApoE4 gene, which increases their risk of Alzheimer’s disease.

If eating fish just once a week can prevent brain cell damage, then we should definitely increase our intake of fish.