Food For Thought -- Eat Your Way To A Sharper Mind

You probably already know that nutrition plays a significant role in cardiovascular health and helps prevent conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, and gout -- but did you know that what you eat may also affect your chances of developing age-related dementia? Foods that may induce memory loss include:

• White breads, white rice, and pasta made from white flour
• Processed meat and cheese products
• Beer, margarine, and microwaveable popcorn
• White sugar

Fortunately, not all foods are poison for the memory. The following is just a partial list of the nutritious and delicious food items that may help keep your mind sharp.

Ginko Biloba

Most people have probably heard ginko biloba touted as a supplement that's conducive to optimal brain health, but you may not be aware that ginko nuts can be harvested and eaten as food. Ginko is a fairly common landscaping tree with nuts that fall in autumn. They can be roasted and tossed with salads or eaten on their own as snacks.

Salmon and Mackerel and Tuna, Oh My!

The flesh of fatty, carnivorous fish is brimming with omega-3 fats that may boost cognitive functioning and help prevent memory loss. If you're one of those people who just never developed a taste for fish, ask your healthcare professional about the benefits of taking a daily fish oil supplement.

Seeds and Nuts

Bake them into whole grain muffins, cookies, and bread; stir them into hot cereal; or simply grab a handful to enjoy whenever the mood strikes you -- nuts and seeds are rich in vitamin E. Studies have shown that subjects with high levels of vitamin E in their blood may be significantly less likely to develop Alzheimer's disease and age-related dementia than their counterparts without much vitamin E.

Dark Fruits

Blueberries, blackberries, huckleberries, cherries, and plums all contain powerful antioxidants wrapped up in delicious little packages. The next time you've got the urge for something sweet, reach for some nature's candy instead.

Red Wine

Red wine is the silver lining of the bad news about beer -- the nectar of the grape contains a compound called resveratrol that may help guard against age-related memory issues. Cheers!

Chocolate

Perhaps the best news of all is that recent studies have discovered that consuming dark chocolate may be instrumental in keeping aging minds toned and sharp. You'll have to get dark chocolate rather than milk chocolate because the process of crafting milk chocolate removes valuable flavanols.

If your loved one is showing signs of dementia, look into places like Alta Ridge Communities.