Impact of lifestyle on cognitive decline, part one: the role of diet

The discussion regarding what really affects our brains throughout our lives has been ongoing for some time. We know that alcohol and drugs are part of a lifestyle that can damage our brains, and we know that saturated fats can damage our hearts and brains, for example, by potentially causing the development of vascular dementia. We understand many factors that may contribute to certain disorders; however, do we understand how we can maintain cognition at the standard it is at a younger age? Studies often attempt to find the answers by examining effects of various dietary components on our cognition.

The latest in this field of research comes from the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (Alzheimer's UK, 2023; Brickman et al, 2023). The results appear to prove that dietary flavanols can restore hippocampal-dependent memory in older adults with lower diet quality and a diet low in regular consumption of flavanols. It appears that adults who consume less plant-based chemical compounds (flavanols) as a part of their diet may be significantly more likely to develop memory decline as they age (Alzheimer's UK, 2023; Brickman et al, 2023).