MASSACHUSETTS: Eating a healthy diet from childhood to middle age can keep the brain energized in old age, reducing the risk of dementia, according to a study.
The research, presented at the Nutrition 2024 conference, examined data on more than 3,000 people spanning nearly seven decades from their childhood.
Scientists from Tufts University said that until now, studies on dementia had focused on eating habits of people in their 60s and 70s. While the latest research is the first of its kind to examine the relationship between food and diet across the lifespan.
People’s mental abilities are known to improve until middle age and begin to decline after age 65.
However, the latest findings suggest that healthy diets rich in antioxidants and mono- and polyunsaturated fats early in life can improve brain health by reducing stress in cells and improving blood circulation in the brain.
