5 food choices that help keep dementia at bay

Dementia is a condition that reduces the functionality of an individual’s brain. Among other symptoms, dementia weakens memory, social skills, and thinking abilities. Although dementia has no definitive cure, certain treatments can help people cope better with its symptoms. Research has found that eating the right foods can keep one’s brain healthy. Certain foods have more nutritional value than others; hence, they help keep dementia at bay. Check out a few such foods below.

Salmon
Fatty fishes like salmon, mackerel, sardines, tuna, and lake trout are rich in essential omega-3 fatty acids. These fatty acids have various health benefits, including blood pressure regulation, keeping the digestive system healthy, and drastically reducing internal inflammation. Most importantly, salmon and other fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids can reduce the likelihood of developing types of dementia such as Alzheimer’s disease. One can include salmon in any meal throughout the day to reap its digestive benefits and keep their brain healthy.

Leafy green vegetables
Like fatty fish, leafy green veggies also find their way on ‘best foods’ lists. These foods are good for one’s brain health too. Leafy green vegetables are rich in B-complex vitamins and potassium, essential to keep the brain perpetually healthy. Additionally, leafy greens like spinach, kale, collards, and Swiss chard contain iron, folate, vitamin E, vitamin K, and calcium. These nutrients help make spinach and other leafy greens a super-effective option to fend off brain conditions such as dementia. Additionally, spinach contains antioxidants such as beta-carotene, coumaric acid, ferulic acid, and lutein. Such foods reduce inflammation that accelerates brain aging, the leading cause of dementia.

Egg yolk
Several studies and experiments have found that egg intake is directly linked with lower dementia risk for vulnerable individuals. Egg yolk is super-effective in keeping the condition at bay as it contains bioactive compounds such as choline, zeaxanthin, lutein, and others. These compounds actively prevent inflammation and keep the brain healthy and ticking.

Blackberries
Berries are also highly beneficial for one’s brain. Blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries contain the all-important antioxidants that reduce oxidative stress and even reverse some of its adverse brain-affecting effects. For example, blackberries contain a group of chemicals known as anthocyanins. These chemicals prevent damage to a person’s brain cells by crossing the blood-brain barrier and protect these cells from aging. All these factors make blackberries, and berries in general, some of the best foods that keep dementia at bay. One can eat berries as a snack, a side dish to a main meal, or in puréed form in healthy smoothies.

Red beans
Eating beans daily can help people keep their aging brains healthy for longer. Red beans contain a plethora of proteins, complex carbohydrates, and fiber. Health experts advise people with initial-stage Alzheimer’s disease to maintain a high percentage of beans in their daily meal plan.

Besides eating these dementia-preventing foods, one can also pay for assisted living facilities. These facilities involve paying a caretaker/s to help someone with dementia or Alzheimer’s with daily tasks such as dressing, grooming, ambulating, meals, bathing, and housekeeping. Hands-on assistance and access to healthcare facilities are among the most significant benefits of opting for an assisted living facility.