Med diet still among the best
By THE GERONTOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF
AMERICA
“Insights & Implications in Gerontology: The Vital Role of Nutrition in Brain Health,” a new publication from the Gerontological Society of America, explores nutritional choices that have been shown to improve cognition and decrease the risk of cognitive impairment and dementia in older adults.
Consumption of a healthful diet is a behavioral strategy
that can help to prevent the development of dementia as people age, the
publication says. It also reports on the roles of vitamins and minerals in
nutrition and brain function and focuses on how to implement person-centered
conversations about the impact of diet and nutrition on overall wellness,
including brain health.
Using a person-centered approach that ties conversations about nutrition to patient goals is an effective strategy for starting conversations about diet and health, according to Kathryn Porter Starr, PhD, RDN from Duke University School of Medicine and Durham VA Medical Center, who served as one of the faculty who oversaw the publication’s development.
“Broaching the topic of diet and nutrition can be challenging. I start by asking patients what their goals are,” she said.
“These
goals could include physical goals such as maintaining muscle mass, cognitive
goals such as preserving memory, as well as functional goals such as being able
to travel or play with grandchildren. Linking information about nutrition to
helping adults achieve their goals is an effective strategy for stimulating
motivation to implement healthy changes.”
The Mediterranean-DASH Diet Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay, or MIND diet, is an example of a dietary pattern that is associated with improved cognition.
This dietary pattern focuses on the consumption of vegetables (especially green leafy vegetables), nuts, berries, beans, whole grains, fish, poultry, and extra virgin olive oil while limiting red meat, processed meats, butter and margarine, regular cheese, pastries and sweets, and fried foods.
People who consume this dietary pattern have been found
to be the equivalent of 7.5 years younger in terms of cognitive abilities. The
publication includes more details about the MIND diet and other dietary
patterns that support healthy nutrition.
Ideally, individuals are able to obtain all necessary
nutrients from their diet. However, the risk for inadequate vitamin and mineral
intake increases as people age, and some people may benefit from consumption of
fortified foods and or dietary supplements to enhance their nutritional status.
“I would love for everybody to get all of their
micronutrients from food,” Starr said. Unfortunately, for most older adults,
it’s really challenging to do that due to physiological changes that occur with
aging and certain disease states that affect absorption, so we often recommend
a multivitamin.”
Reference: “Insights & Implications in Gerontology: The Vital Role of
Nutrition in Brain Health” Gerontological Society of
America.
Other publication faculty include Rose Ann
DiMaria-Ghalili, PhD, RN, FASPEN, FAAN, FGSA from Drexel University; Sareen S.
Gropper, PhD, RDN, LDN from Florida Atlantic University; and Roger A. Fielding,
PhD from Tufts University School of Medicine. Support for “Insights &
Implications in Gerontology: The Vital Role of Nutrition in Brain Health” was
provided by Haleon.
