Can You Eat Your Way to a Better Memory?

Let’s face it:  When we age, our memory is not what it used to be. A word is on the tip of our tongue. A face is familiar, but the name is elusive. And the math we once did in our heads no longer computes.

“Cognitive decline is a common side effect of aging,” Annette Fornos, M.D., an internist at the Osher Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of Miami Health System, says reassuringly.

That’s because we gradually lose neurons and connections in the brain over time, which can affect memory and reason.

What’s more, we also experience reduced blood and oxygen supply when we’re older.

Even our production of neurotransmitters, such as dopamine and acetylcholine, which help our brain cells communicate, drops.

But don’t fret.

We can do something to slow or stop that decline.

And the earlier, the better. Evidence-based science, she adds, confirms that certain habits help with brain health. These include social engagement, quality sleep, stress management, physical exercise and participation in cognitive-stimulating activities such as puzzles, playing musical instruments and reading.

More good news: We also know that we might be able to eat our way to better memory. A diet rich in certain nutrients can support overall brain health by reducing inflammation and improving communication between neurons. Nutrients essential for proper brain function include omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins such as B12 and D, minerals such as iron, magnesium, calcium, and zinc, and high-quality protein and glucose.

Over a lifetime, our brains (and other body systems) accumulate toxins, says Alejandro Leon, M.S., MS, CDE, RD, a dietitian who works at the Miami Transplant Institute, a joint venture between the UHealth and the Jackson Health System. These toxins lead to brain inflammation, which, in turn, affects cognitive abilities.  A healthy diet, however, can eliminate or minimize the damage.

Aging does not have to translate to memory impairment.

“I know 100-year-olds who have a good, clear memory,” Leon adds, “and 60-year-olds who don’t.”

Studies of Alzheimer’s patients, the most common form of dementia, have reported that the right kind of food can offset some of the most severe symptoms of progressive neurodegenerative disease. One peer-reviewed pilot study, published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, suggests that “treating inflammation, toxins, infections, and implementing proper lifestyle and nutritional changes based on a predominantly plant-based, low inflammatory, and low-grain diet,” can support cognitive function, explains Dr. Fornos. “Optimal brain nutrition can be obtained from a balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables, legumes, healthy fats, and moderate whole complex carbohydrates.”

In short, some foods can boost memory because they protect brain cells from oxidative damage and decrease inflammation. These are the same foods that protect our hearts and improve our immunity.  “What is bad for one organ is bad for another and vice versa,” Leon says. “Everything in our body is connected.”

 So, how can you apply the evolving science of food-as-medicine to pump up your brain muscle?

Here are suggestions from Dr. Fornos and Leon:

• Invest in organic products if you can afford it. It’s the best way to ensure your food is low in pesticides.
• Eat the rainbow. “Anything colorful is full of antioxidants,” Leon explains. 
• Learn to read food labels so you know what you’re eating. Focus on the first four or five listed ingredients since they are the ones included in the highest quantities. Avoid high fructose corn syrup, margarine, seed oils, and artificial coloring. “The shorter the label, the better,” Leon says.
• Steer away from ultra-processed foods. Not only are these foods linked to diabetes and heart disease, risk factors for dementia, but studies also show they speed up cognitive decline. One study found that middle-aged people who consumed the most ultra-processed foods experienced up to a 28% faster decline in memory and thinking skills.
• Snack on berries. Eat them alone or add them to your salad or smoothies. Blueberries, in particular, are considered a superfood. They also provide lots of fiber, so that helps the digestive system as well.
• Load up on dark leafy vegetables, such as spinach, kale and Swiss chard.  Add cruciferous veggies to your plate, too. These are loaded with nutrients such as folate and Vitamin K, which are also anti-inflammatory.
• Try seaweed. In addition to containing prebiotic fiber and antioxidants, this Asian culinary staple also contains magnesium and zinc, minerals that support neurotransmitter function, and iodine, which is essential for the thyroid to regulate hormones critical to the brain.
• Crunch on nuts. Leon suggests soaking nuts overnight in the refrigerator, which improves digestion and enhances the absorption of the nuts’ magnesium, zinc, and calcium. Soaking also imitates the process of germination, which activates the enzymes found in nuts.
• Sprinkle seeds on your food. Like nuts, however, make sure to soak them first. Pumpkin seeds go great on salads. Chia seeds, which are loaded with alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) that helps brain cells communicate, are best used to make pudding.
• Eat eggs. They’re high in B vitamins, essential for healthy brain function, and the all-important choline, which is needed by neurotransmitters.  One study found that consuming more than one egg per week was associated with a 47% reduction in Alzheimer’s.
• Incorporate fatty fish, such as sardines, salmon and herring, into your diet. Leon prefers fresh, wild-caught fish, but canned fish also works in a pinch.
• Keep tabs on your medications, as some can suppress the absorption of essential brain-boosting nutrients. For instance, omeprazole inhibits the amount of acid your stomach produces, but it can also result in Vitamin B12 deficiency. Low levels of the vitamin can lead to poor brain health and difficulty in focusing, among other things.

Dr. Fornos and other functional medicine practitioners and integrative medicine specialists favor the Bredesen Protocol, which addresses cognitive decline, including Alzheimer’s, through lifestyle and dietary changes. The protocol’s nutritional guidelines, Dr. Fornos says, “are like the KetoFLEX 12/3 diet, which is mildly ketogenic and plant-rich.”

It consists of:

• plant-based whole foods
• complex carbohydrates
• healthy (monounsaturated) fats (nuts, seeds, and olive oil)
• lean protein from legumes
• cold water
• low-mercury fish
• low glycemic-index fruits such as berries
• prebiotic fiber

It also recommends minimizing refined sugars and grains, and a minimum of a 12-hour overnight fast, including three hours before bed, to enhance metabolic flexibility.

 “The Bredesen study has brought about much-needed hope and promising results,” she adds.

Ana Veciana Suarez is a regular contributor for UHealth’s news service.

Tags: cognitive decline, Dr. Annette Fornos, Foods for brain health, Healthy aging, nutrition care in Miami, Osher Center for Integrative Health