In the long term, diet plays a major role in cognitive abilities, assures the B2V Observatory of Memories, which also tells us which diet would be best for our brain.
- “Unbalanced diets, rich in saturated lipids and sugars (promoting obesity), have a negative impact on memory,” the researchers specify.
- Currently, scientific data shows that the Mediterranean diet would be the one that provides the most benefits to the brain, reducing the onset of Alzheimer’s disease.
- This diet consists mainly of whole grains, fruits and vegetables, legumes, fish, nuts and seeds, olive oil, garlic and onion.
“The brain, although it represents only 2% of the total body weight, uses up to 25% of our energy intake from what we eat”, recall in the preamble of a press release sent to the editorial offices Hélène Amieva, University Professor of Psychogerontology and member of the Scientific Council of the B2V Observatory of Memoirs, as well as Guillaume Ferreira, Director of research in nutrition and brain at INRA at Bordeaux. Like sleep and physical activity, diet is one of the pillars of a healthy brain.
Memory: some diets are more harmful than others
“Clinical and experimental research, both on humans and animals, converges to say that unbalanced diets, rich in saturated lipids and sugars (promoting obesity), have a negative impact on memory.”, specify the researchers. This would be all the more marked for episodic memory which is dependent on the hippocampus. It is what allows us to remember events experienced with their context. “We must be particularly vigilant during adolescence, a crucial period of brain maturation, where the hippocampus is particularly sensitive to our food environment.”
Mediterranean diet reduces risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease
Scientists are putting an end to preconceived ideas about miracle cures, ensuring that “no food, no matter how beneficial, can alone improve memory or counter the effects of aging on the brain”. Only the “synergistic combination of different nutrients over the long term” can positively influence brain health.
“Currently, the strongest scientific evidence supports the effectiveness of the Mediterranean diet.” This diet is characterized by regular consumption of whole grains, fruits and vegetables, legumes, fish, nuts and seeds, olive oil, garlic and onion. Poultry, eggs, dairy products and sweets should be consumed in moderation. Red meats are rarely present on the menu. This diet also involves a reasonable daily calorie intake, ranging from 1,800 to 2,500 calories per day. “The protective benefits of this diet against cardiovascular diseases have been widely demonstrated, and these same nutrients could help limit brain damage linked to blood vessels, delay age-related memory decline, or even reduce the risk of developing heart disease. Alzheimer’s disease.”
Does fasting have a positive impact on memory?
Concerning food fasting, which consists of voluntarily depriving oneself of food for a more or less long period, scientists prefer to remain cautious. “Results suggest that fasting induces an increase in the production of a protein called BDNF, a neurotrophic factor that promotes neurogenesis (the entire process of formation of a functional neuron of the nervous system from a neural stem cell ). [Mais] To date, studies that have looked at the effects of fasting on cognitive functions and memory do not show any real benefit.”
