My mother got dementia at 85. Here’s what I eat to reduce my risk
My mother developed dementia at 85 and now sadly she doesn’t recognise me and is in a home. It’s a fate none of us want. At the time, my understanding was that dementia was largely a genetic condition – that there was little you could do other than wait for scientists to create a miracle drug. It was all quite depressing.
Now, although there is no miracle drug, we’re in a new era. We know that genetics have a role but it’s a minor one. For the vast majority, dementia is a condition that’s preventable, or at least delayable.
But it’s not about doing crossword puzzles and Sudoku, walking the dog and keeping your fingers crossed. Research over the last few years suggests that inflammation in the brain, which can silently persist at low levels for years, is a key driver of the memory-robbing condition, and that it can be a result of a poor diet that contains lots of ultra-processed, high-sugar and high-fat foods.
We also know that certain foods can reduce inflammation and therefore keep our brains in a good condition for longer. This is what I eat to protect my brain.
1. Nuts and fish
Eating more nuts and seeds is a good place to start. They’re anti-inflammatory, which means they support our gut microbes to produce chemicals that interact with our immune system to reduce inflammation in the brain.
Nuts and seeds are also an excellent source of omega-3, which the brain uses lots of, given that it’s made up of fatty tissue. I add a portion of a nut and seed mix each day to my breakfast yogurt and kefir. When I’m travelling, I now use the ZOE Daily30+ plant blend which contains nuts and seeds. I also snack on nuts and seeds and will add them to my weekly sourdough loaf that I bake.
Studies have linked eating enough omega-3s with slower rates of cognitive decline and a lower risk of dementia. It’s especially important to get enough omega-3s as you get older, as your brain needs to repair itself more.
Fish is another source of omega-3 – think the SMASH acronym (salmon, mackerel, anchovies, sardines and herring). But shellfish – particularly mussels and clams – are also good for you and more sustainable.
I might have fish once a week and tend to order fish in restaurants when I’m out and love sardines, mackerel and smoked fish. At home I love cooking mussels or clams with pasta. My favourite way of cooking fish is a version of catalan cod – where you cook a chunky cod filet in the oven covered with a ratatouille mixture. Another way I get fish into my diet is by adding anchovies to salads and sauces.
Don’t rely on an supplement unless you absolutely have to. Getting enough from your diet is much better.
2. Thirty plants a week
When the gut breaks down fibre, short-chain fatty acids are produced as a by-product. Studies have shown a link between low levels of these fatty acids and dementia, which suggests that our diet and gut microbes play a role in developing the disease.
It’s therefore important to get enough fibre on your plate. Aiming for 30 plants per week is one way to do this. Plants include fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole grains, as well as herbs and spices.
I get a head start by making sure that my first meal of the day has plenty of plants by adding different berries, nuts and seeds to my yoghurt, which adds up to around 10 plants. I view every meal as an opportunity to add more plants to the mix – and always have+ZOE Daily30+ in reserve.
When you have a rich variety of plants in your diet, they calm everything down in the brain. They’re also rich in minerals and nutrients that the brain needs.
As you get older, it can seem difficult to incorporate new foods into your diet. But just like stretching your brain is important, stretching your gut microbes and learning to enjoy new foods is also key.
Try to have as much colour and diversity on your plate as you can. At each meal, ask yourself what else you could add to your plate.
3. Cut down on sugar and ultra-processed foods
Cut out, or at least reduce the foods in your diet that are more likely to cause inflammation. Research from ZOE showed that foods high in saturated fat content and refined sugars cause more inflammation after a meal. These include ultra-processed foods because, as well as being low in fibre, they contain unhealthy fats and are more likely to be high in refined carbohydrates and added sugar.
Our gut microbiome is key here. It makes secondary bile acids, which help to break down fat. Research has shown there are real abnormalities in secondary bile acids among patients with Alzheimer’s, suggesting there is a defect in their gut health, which may be fuelling inflammation through increased presence of fats in the gut.
Pringles or Doritos were a go-to salty snack that I used to enjoy but I now eat olive oil crisps, mixed nuts and olives or peanuts instead, for this reason.
It all links back to our body not being able to clear unhealthy fat rapidly, leading to increased inflammation, and causing the brain’s immune system to continuously be in fighting mode. The brain is in a state of stress and struggles to repair itself, increasing risk of plaques and then it starts losing volume and going downhill.
4. Drink alcohol occasionally at social events
Definitely don’t exceed your 14 units a week (around six medium glasses of wine or six pints of four per cent beer) and ideally less is of course better for brain health and dementia risk.
However, if you prefer to have a drink or two when you’re out socially, I think it is fine. Yes, there are risks of drinking alcohol but occasionally sharing a glass of wine with friends is a balanced way to approach drinking.
Red wine is my favourite tipple with food because I love the diversity of flavours and it has benefits for my gut health. I have cut down my alcohol drinking by choosing interesting alternatives such as low-alcohol beers or kombuchas instead. I usually have at least one night off a week with zero alcohol.
You can reduce your intake by savouring each drink and making it last longer. That’s what they do in the Mediterranean. They drink very slowly. Or you could start experimenting as I do with low-alcohol beers to pad it out, like I do.
Dementia can be a gloomy topic but improving our diet really is one major way to easily reduce your risk. Stick to real food and don’t be fooled by adverts for supplements as they haven’t been shown to be effective. Studies in mice have shown that another innovative way of improving brain health is by transferring the gut microbes from young mice to old mice. So, if you don’t yet fancy a poo transplant from your children, it may be worth trying some of these easy eating tips.
