Dementia Diet: According to the Longitudinal Aging Study in India (LASI), 8.8 million Indians over the age of 60 years or 7.4 percent of the country’s elderly population are affected by dementia.
This neurodegenerative condition is primarily driven by urbanization, an aging population and rising lifestyle hazards such as poor diets, hypertension and diabetes. However, dementia can be prevented by following simple and easy-to-follow tips and precautions.
Here are some tips by Dr. Priyanka Sehrawat, Neurologist and General physician, MD Medicine and DM Neurology (AIIMS Delhi) MBBS (Lady Harding Medical College, Delhi) Founder of SabkiSehat health campaign and AceMedicine Educational platform, and some additional tips.
Dementia Diet-Core Foods and Beverages to Include
Ideally, you should load up on nutrient-dense staples every day. Green leafy vegetables such as kale, spinach and fenugreek deliver folate, vitamin K and beta-carotene to fight brain atrophy and lower systolic pressure by 5-10 mmHg.
For people in the age group of 20-40 years, it is best to avoid HFSS diet:
- Avoid more than 5 grams of salt every day
- Avoid more than 25 grams of sugar every day
- Avoid more than 30 grams of fat every day
- Avoid more than 10 grams of saturated fat every day
Furthermore, you should include strawberries, blueberries and Indian Jamun that pack flavonoids, enhancing memory and arterial flexibility. Whole grains such as oats, quinoa, jowar and brown rice can be good additions too. You can even include fatty fish like salmon, mackerel (bangda), or sardines that offer DHA omega-3s twice weekly to reduce dementia markers and ease vessel stiffness.
Nuts such as walnuts, almonds, peanuts supply vitamin E and magnesium. Poultry, beans, lentils (dal) and olive oil (or mustard oil) help round out proteins and healthy fats. As far as beverages are concerned, you can count on Green tea (2-3 cups) for catechins, black coffee (moderate) and red wine (1 glass, optional) to boost cerebral blood flow without sodium spikes.
Foods And Beverages To Exclude
Avoid red meats and processed cut like bacon as they raise homocysteine, fuelling dementia plaques and hypertension. You should also avoid butter, palm oil and margarine, instead choose olive oil. Avoid Cheese and full-fat dairy as they inflate saturated fats and salt content in the body worsening cognitive decline.
Disclaimer: This content, including advice, provides general information only. It is not a substitute for a qualified medical opinion in any way. The methods and claims mentioned in this article should be considered as suggestions only; DNP India neither confirms nor denies them. Always consult a doctor before following any such suggestions/treatments/medications/diets.