According to Iowa State University, the foods we eat may have a direct impact on our cognitive acuity in our later years. They link “specific foods: with cognitive decline. Those that harm and those that protect.
The findings show cheese protected against age-related cognitive problems and red wine was related to improvements in cognitive function.
There is a god, some of you are now smiling and saying to yourself. Ha.
A lot has been discussed about sugar and carbs being bad for the brain. But Iowa State’s study is the first-of-its-kind large-scale analysis that connects specific foods to later-in-life cognitive acuity.
Their team analyzed data collected from 1,787 aging adults (from 46 to 77 years of age, at the completion of the study) in the United Kingdom.
Participants completed, at the beginning and with two follow-up assessments, what they ate and drank and their ability to "think on the fly."
Here are four of the most significant findings from the study:
Cheese, by far, was shown to be the most protective food against age-related cognitive problems, even late into life. It may be that many cheeses contain probiotics
A short list of probiotic-rich cheeses includes aged, traditional cheddar, Gouda, and Alpine cheeses like Gruyère. For soft cheeses, try raw milk-washed rinds like Rollright from King Stone Farm or Slyboro from Consider Bardwell Farm. You can also find lots of fresh dairy products with probiotics, including yogurt and fermented drinkable treats.
The daily consumption of alcohol, particularly red wine, was related to improvements in cognitive function. Yet another study showing that if you can be moderate with alcohol it is a protective beverage, but as soon as you drink too much, it’s dangerous.
Alcohol tests your yogic striving for “balance”.
Weekly consumption of lamb, but not other red meats, was shown to improve long-term cognitive prowess; as we know lamb contains fats similar to fish.
Excessive consumption of salt is bad, but only for individuals already at risk for Alzheimer's Disease. They did not distinguish between sea salt and processed salt that I could see.
"I was pleasantly surprised that our results suggest that responsibly eating cheese and drinking red wine daily are not just good for helping us cope with our current COVID-19 pandemic, but perhaps also dealing with an increasingly complex world that never seems to slow down," these researchers said.
Dr. Mark Houston says pinot wine is the most heart-healthy. This study just said wine, including, it seems, both white and red.
Many American wines have lots of chemicals, this study was done in the UK. Dry Farm wines, my podcast - Busting Wine Myths: Bad, Better & Best (Healthiest) Wines (#171), offer wines with less sugar and silently added chemicals.
To totally avoid alcohol unless you have a specific disease process that warrants not having it, may not be necessary.
Moderation is the critical key.
I thought you would find this interesting.
I sure did.
Dr. B.
Researching, connecting the dots in meaningful ways & sharing with you makes me Happy! I love connecting live over Zoom with many of you in my monthly membership webinars. Not a part of the Live or Pro Level membership? Learn more here: Berkson Health Membership Groups
(This was originally posted in the Smart+Heart Private group on December 11, 2020*)
Reference:
Genetic Factors of Alzheimer’s Disease Modulate How Diet is Associated with Long-Term Cognitive Trajectories: A UK Biobank Study. Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, 2020; 78 (3): 1245
Thank you for sharing this! I was just chatting with a colleague (who is an integrative nutritionist & herbalist) about the pervasive “all or nothing” messaging regarding foods. Obviously there are a lot of chemicals and toxins that have been added to foods that should be avoided and are clearly not good for anyone, but it’s the blanket statements regarding foods makes me crazy. No wonder our patients are so overwhelmed. Your most recent post on the benefits of coffee, and now this one are such great examples of why we need to avoid blanket statements about food~ especially real food. The details matter. Kraft processed American cheese slices are not the same as a raw cheese from a pasture raised animal, and wines are no different, depending on the quality of the grapes, the soil, the wine-making process. All this to say thank you to you for sleuthing out so many great studies and encouraging our clinician group to critically think. 🙌🙌🙌