[100-Year Brain Health⑦] Intake of Brain-Healthy Nutrients... Improving Eating Habits Helps Prevent Dementia

Likes Foods High in Unsaturated Fatty Acids
Eating Fish More Than Once a Week
Reduces Alzheimer's Risk by 60%
Nuts and Olive Oil Also Recommended

Avoid Alcohol and Smoking
Which Impair Cognitive Function

[Asia Economy Reporter Chunhee Lee] Experts emphasize that not only dementia prevention but also brain health depends on regular eating habits. As people enter old age, appetite decreases and meal portions shrink significantly, making balanced nutrition intake difficult. Some may suffer from chronic nutritional deficiencies. A healthy brain requires various nutrients, especially those that make up the brain.

One of the representative foods good for dementia is unsaturated fatty acids. Among these, omega-3, found abundantly in so-called "blue-backed fish" such as mackerel, Spanish mackerel, herring, and saury, is a major component of the phospholipids in brain cell membranes and has functions that prevent blood clot formation, as well as antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. Studies conducted in the Netherlands and the United States have shown that eating fish at least once a week reduces the risk of Alzheimer's dementia by 60%.

On the other hand, saturated fatty acids and trans fats should be avoided. Unlike unsaturated fatty acids, consuming saturated fats can have a fatal impact on vascular health and is known to increase the risk of Alzheimer's by about twofold. Even when eating meat for protein intake, it is better to avoid high-fat parts and cooking methods such as frying.

Other recommended sources of unsaturated fatty acids include nuts such as walnuts, almonds, and peanuts, as well as olive oil and perilla seed oil. In particular, perilla seeds are rich in linolenic acid, which produces DHA, a component of brain cells, making them good for dementia prevention. Preferred beverages include black tea and milk. Drinking 2 to 3 cups of black tea daily can inhibit plaque formation that destroys brain cells due to flavonoids, and milk is rich in choline, which synthesizes acetylcholine related to memory.

Conversely, alcohol and tobacco should be avoided. Although wine contains polyphenols that delay aging, and some studies suggest that moderate consumption of alcoholic beverages may reduce dementia risk, this should not be interpreted as an endorsement of drinking. Frequent heavy drinking can damage the hippocampus, which is responsible for memory, and is a key factor in alcohol-related dementia, one of the major types of dementia. Smoking, when consumed together with alcohol as a habit, accelerates cognitive decline by 36% compared to drinking alcohol alone.

Among over-the-counter medicines that can be taken without a doctor's prescription, ginkgo leaf extract improves blood circulation and cognitive function. German research has shown that administering dried ginkgo leaf extract to patients aged 50 and older with Alzheimer's or vascular dementia resulted in significant cognitive improvement. In Korea, patients with dementia or peripheral arterial circulation disorders can also receive prescriptions covered by the National Health Insurance for this treatment.