A Healthy Diet Helps Preserve Memory & Thinking Skills, As You Age

May 17, 2015

Eating healthy is known to have a whole bunch of health benefits that will not only help you now, but also as you grow older. According to a new research, people who have healthier diets with higher quantities of vegetables, fruit, fish, nuts, soy products, and moderate alcohol intake, are at a reduced risk of cognitive decline as they get older. Eating healthy helps preserve their memory and thinking skills.

The team from Ontario-based McMaster University tracked the health and habits of 28,000 people who were taking part in two international studies across 40 countries. They found that, of the 5,700 people with the healthiest diets, 14 percent had developed cognitive decline. On the other hand, in the 5,460 people with the least healthy diets (comprising red meat, deep-fried foods and sweets), about 18 percent of them experienced cognitive decline. While it may not sound like a big difference, it accounts for a 24 percent reduction in the risk of cognitive decline, for people on healthy diets.

This data suggest that an overall healthy diet is more important than the consumption of any one particular food.
Healthy diets are rich in antioxidants and are excellent for brain health.

Source: IANS

Reference: Healthy eating and reduced risk of cognitive decline, journal of Neurology.

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