Mitchell Elkind on The New York Times Brain Health Challenge: Food Is Brain Medicine!
Mitchell Elkind, Chief Science Officer, Brain Health and Stroke, American Heart Association, shared on LinkedIn:
”Food Is Brain Medicine!
Day 2 of The New York Times Brain Health Challenge brings together two of my favorite research areas: Brain Health and Food Is Medicine.
It is increasingly clear that what you put on your plate can have a profound impact on your brain health. Fun fact: our brains consume 20% of our body’s total energy despite making up only 2% of our body mass.
That’s because brains are so metabolically active compared to the rest of the body. Those neurons go hard!
Research has shown that people who embrace the MIND diet—which emphasizes berries, leafy greens, other vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts, fish, poultry, and olive oil, while limiting red meat, butter, cheese, sweets, and fried foods—experience slower cognitive decline and a reduced risk of dementia.
The benefits are significant whether you start the diet in midlife or later.
Foods like berries and leafy greens are rich in antioxidants, while nuts and fatty fish provide essential omega-3s that are thought to help protect brain cells.
Whole grains and beans offer fiber that supports our gut health—a key player in the gut-brain connection.
This approach aligns with the American Heart Association focus on Brain Health, which recognizes the critical link between heart and brain health.
Prioritizing these foods supports cardiovascular health, as well as memory and brain fitness.
It also aligns with the American Heart Association Health Care by Food initiative (www.healthcarexfood.org), which underscores that healthy food can be a form of health care.
For more inspiration, check out MIND diet recipes and join the movement to make every meal count for your health.”
Read the full article here.
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