More and more evidence shows that a healthy diet plays an important role in cognitive function. A healthy diet provides important nutrients such as vitamins and omega-3 fatty acids, which play an important role in the activity of brain cells as well as inflammatory reaction control, thereby carrying Benefit for cognitive function.
More and more evidence shows that a healthy diet plays an important role in cognitive function. A healthy diet provides important nutrients such as vitamins and omega-3 fatty acids, which play an important role in the activity of brain cells as well as inflammatory reaction control, thereby carrying Benefit for cognitive function.
A study published in Neurology magazine has shown that a healthier diet is related to brain volume increased.
This result comes from a major study conducted on 4,213 Dutch people, over 45 years old and not demented. Researchers will answer the question about the food and drinks they often use, the quantity as well as the frequency of consumption of those foods and drinks. Based on the answers, the regime of each researcher will be put into evaluation based on the Dutch diet recommend. These people will then scan MRI to evaluate the volume of brain tissue as well as recognize cerebrovascular diseases if any (e.g. holes, microscopic hemorrhage).
The team also observed that the higher meal quality score would be correlated with greater brain volume. Especially, the research team found that the higher diet score was linked to a larger healing volume, this is an important function for memory. It should be noted, this relationship is not decided by a group of food or drinks. Eat plenty of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, seeds, dairy products, fish and little use of sugary drinks with a larger brain volume. However, researchers do not find the relationship between diet quality and protective effects against small blood vessel diseases.
Because this research is only a observation research, it is not suitable for assessing the causes – consequences. People with a healthy diet often have other good habits that can positively affect the brain such as exercise or participating in intellectual activities. It should be emphasized that the correlation between a healthy diet and brain volume is still meaningful after controlling other factors such as physical motor, education level, age, gender, calories consumption, BMI.
These results are homogeneous with the results from previous studies: compliance with the Mediterranean diet (many fish, nuts and vegetables) have a effect against brain tissue loss. The results from random studies and controls show that people in the Mediterranean diet have a concentration of a protein called nurtuing factor (brain-thraining neurotrophic factor. This protein supports the growth and survival of brain cells.
Based on these studies, the brain size can be affected by the overall quality of meals, not a specific food or drink. And it is important to follow a balanced, healthy diet that focuses on eating a lot of vegetables, fish, beans and less processed foods and sugar.
