A Healthy Diet Will Support A Healthy Brain Size
One's intake of certain vitamins and fats can affect brain volume later in life.
When people talk about eating a healthier diet, it can be in the context of keeping things smaller. You shouldn't eat those french fries, or they'll go straight to your thighs. Does your waistline really need that fried chicken? Good luck squeezing into those jeans after that last slice of cheesecake!
But did you know that eating a healthier diet can also help keep something big? No, we're not talking about your ego. New research suggests that what you eat can actually affect the size of your brain.
One of the scariest parts about growing older is the frequency of "senior moments," when you begin to forget event the most basic things - where you put your keys, what time your appointments are, the birthdays of your loved ones, and so on. In some illnesses related to memory problems, doctors have actually observed parts of the brain getting smaller.
There are several factors that can influence this process, including exercise and diet. One team of scientists from Oregon Health & Science University wanted to investigate the diet angle a little further, and concluded that the healthier your food is, the less likely your brain may be to shrink.
Good fat vs. bad fat
One aspect of diet that the researchers took interest in was the type of fat that people were eating. Specifically, they were looking at the effects of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and trans fats.
A number of studies have investigated omega-3s' potential benefits on memory health, according to the National Center for Complementary Health and Medicine, a division of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). This nutrient, commonly found in fish oil, has previously been connected to optimal heart health.
Trans fats are a type of fat used to make liquid vegetable oils more solid, according to the American Heart Association (AHA). This is usually done to make food more appealing in terms of taste and texture.
In the new study, scientists discovered that people who had higher levels of omega-3s in their diet were less likely to experience brain shrinkage, and more likely to have high scores on laboratory tests for thinking and memory. But when it came to trans fats, the researchers saw the opposite effects.
Don't forget your vitamins
There are a number of studies that have looked at a couple of nutrients' effects on memory health. However, the new study was interested in investigating a whole array of vitamins: C, D, E and B.
Most of the research subjects had a good nutritional status, but the study team found a significant number were deficient in vitamins D and B12. And, like what was discovered with omega-3s, people who had higher levels of all the vitamins were more likely to have a brain with a healthy size, along with better test scores.
When it comes to memory, low levels of vitamin B12 may be especially concerning for older people, according to the Office of Dietary Supplements, another division of the NIH. Many individuals 50 years of age or older do not produce enough stomach acid to help them absorb enough of the nutrient from the food they eat.
What can you do?
When it comes to fat, try to familiarize yourself with nutrition labels, which will categorize this energy source as saturated, trans, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The AHA recommends leaning more toward the unsaturated fats, and making sure that no more than 1 percent of your day's calories are from trans fats. This industrial additive is usually found in fried foods, baked goods, stick margerines, shortening or any food with "partially hydrogenated oils" listed on the list of ingredients.
Both vitamin D and omega-3s are present in certain types of fatty fish, such as salmon, tuna and mackerel, according to government sources. Vitamins C and E, which are both antioxidants, can be found in fruits and vegetables.
Vitamin B6 can also be found in fruits, while vitamin B12 is available in many fortified cereals.
So if you're serious about eating a healthier diet, don't just think of it as an investment in a smaller waistline today. Think of it as an investment in a healthier brain for your twilight years.