Sharpen Your Mind with the DASH Diet

Sharpen Your Mind with the DASH Diet by Ashleigh Feltham Accredited Practising Dietitian and Accredited Nutritionist

A healthy brain promotes an optimal quality of life. Several factors influence good brain health, and a significant one within your control is diet. No one food can give your brain everything it needs for optimal functioning, though certain foods can offer multiple benefits.

DASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension.

It was originally developed to help reduce high blood pressure and heart disease.

The DASH diet includes eating nine to ten servings of fruit and vegetables each day. Also, plenty of whole grains like wholegrain pasta, rice, oats, bread, crackers and wholegrain couscous or quinoa. There are plenty of legumes and beans, nuts and seeds in the diet, as well as dairy. It also includes seafood and white meat, like chicken and turkey. Red and processed meats, sweetened beverages and sodium are restricted.

New research suggests that the DASH diet may also help promote the healthy function of your brain. Researchers investigated the effects of dietary changes during middle age and the effect on brain function later in life. The results show the DASH diet is linked to a lower likelihood of memory loss and other signs of mental decline in later life.

Because women are at greater risk of developing Alzheimer’s, researchers looked at thousands of women for 30 years. The average age was 49 years at the start and 79 years at the completion of the study where any cognitive complaints were recorded.

Researchers also asked if these women had difficulties understanding group conversations, spoken instructions, remembering recent events or shopping lists, and if they had any difficulties navigating familiar locations. Thirty-three percent reported having at least one of these difficulties at the end of the 30 years.

The women who followed the DASH diet had 17% less cognitive impairments. Seafood is included in the DASH diet due to the multiple nutrients it contains that promote good brain health. One of these is the essential, polyunsaturated fat called omega-3. There are many important roles this essential fat plays in promoting your overall health and optimal mental function. Omega-3 fats help reduce inflammation, and improve your mood, cognition and brain performance.

There are two main types of omega-3 fats found in marine sources: DHA and EPA. DHA is the main type of fat that your brain needs, which is why 100g of seafood is recommended two to three times a week. This will give your body approximately 250–500 milligrams (mg) of marine-sourced omega-3 per day.

Good sources of omega-3 include fatty fish, like salmon, sardines, herring, mackerel and anchovies. Try to choose ethically sourced seafood to look after the health of your body and mind as well as the planet.

Take home message

Take care of your brain health for a better quality of life. Your diet choices influence the health and functioning of your brain. The DASH diet can help promote your grey matter to stay sharp as you age, as well as reducing high blood pressure and heart disease.

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