An expert has highlighted the foods he eats to prevent dementia amid his own mother’s devastating diagnosis.
British medical doctor and professor Tim Spector recently opened up about how he is constantly taking steps to prevent himself developing dementia.
Writing for the Telegraph in an op-ed earlier this week, he reflected on the disease as well as how it has struck him close to home.
He said that his 85-year-old mom no longer recognizes him. He added that this fact has caused him to reassess what he thinks he knows about the health condition.
He has said that there is increasing evidence that people can delay or prevent dementia by changing what foods they put in their body.
In the report he also dismissed suggestions that simple changes in behavior people currently attest to helping prevent dementia.
He wrote: “It’s not about doing crossword puzzles and Sudoku, walking the dog and keeping your fingers crossed.
“Research over the last few years suggests that inflammation in the brain, which can silently persist at low levels for years, is a key driver of the memory-robbing condition, and that it can be a result of a poor diet that contains lots of ultra-processed, high-sugar and high-fat foods.
“We also know that certain foods can reduce inflammation and therefore keep our brains in a good condition for longer.”
Highlighting what he eats, he said he now eats more nuts and seeds due to their anti-inflammatory properties. This in turn can help gut microbes to produce chemicals that interact with our immune system to reduce inflammation in the brain.
He also noted that both are excellent sources of omega-3, and said for this reason he also eats more fish.
He said to think ‘SMASH’ when it comes to fish; salmon, mackerel, anchovies, sardines and herring.
He did note that shellfish can also be good, namely mussells and clams and said they are more sustainable.
As well as this, he said he aims to eat 30 different plants a week in order to improve his gut microbiome.
He explained: “When you have a rich variety of plants in your diet, they calm everything down in the brain. They’re also rich in minerals and nutrients that the brain needs.
“As you get older, it can seem difficult to incorporate new foods into your diet. But just like stretching your brain is important, stretching your gut microbes and learning to enjoy new foods is also key.”
He also emphasized the importance of cutting down on sugar and ultra-processed foods and also said he now saves drinking alcohol for social occasions, arguing a drink or two with friends is ‘fine’.
