Can diet help us prevent some neurodegenerative diseases? Yes. According to an article recently published in the journal Neurology , a diet rich in fish and vitamins can protect the brain from shrinkage associated with Alzheimer's disease.
The study was carried out on people with an average age of 87 years in which the levels of certain nutrients were counted through blood tests. According to the data, people who had higher amounts of vitamins and omega 3 fatty acids – present mainly in fish – obtained higher scores on tests of memory and cognitive skills performed. On the contrary, the people who obtained the worst results were those with high levels of trans fats in the blood, which are associated with diets where fast food, fried, frozen and bakery products abound. These people are more likely to suffer from the reductions in brain volume associated with Alzheimer's disease.
This study was the first to use nutrient biomarkers in the blood to analyze the effects of diet on the risk of neurodegenerative diseases. In addition, the authors incorporated other variables such as age, blood pressure or the number of years of education, which were also decisive in the mental abilities of the participants.
