Healthy diet for cognitive fitness
- Reviewed by Howard E. LeWine, MD, Chief Medical Editor, Harvard Health Publishing; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing
Lifestyle choices such as staying physically active, exercising regularly, getting enough sleep, and managing stress can improve attention and focus. But what about diet?
One of the most-studied eating styles for heart and blood vessel health is the Mediterranean diet. This eating style emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts and seeds, and olive oil and includes moderate amounts of fish, poultry, and dairy products while limiting red meat. It has been recognized as helping to protect against heart attack and stroke, as well as lowering the risk of certain cancers. The eating style also appears to lower the possibility of mild cognitive impairment and slow the progression to dementia in people who have that condition.
Foods that are rich in probiotics may also help brain health, but the evidence is mixed.. Probiotics are living microorganisms found in certain foods, such as yogurt, sauerkraut, and some cheeses, that are crucial to good digestion. Eating these foods helps promote a healthy balance of beneficial bacteria and other microorganisms in your gut microbiome. In one small clinical trial, people who took a fermented soy product over 12 weeks scored better on attention and memory testing compared to those given a placebo.
Choline is another nutrient that has been linked to better cognitive health. Choline is one of the building blocks of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, which plays a critical role in regulating attention. Data from the Framingham Offspring Cohort, a long-term study that tracked the dietary intake of more than 1,300 adults over a 20-year period, showed that those who ate more foods containing choline had better verbal and visual memory. People who had higher choline intakes when they were younger also showed less damage to the small blood vessels in the brain in later life.
Poultry, fish, dairy products, eggs, beans, cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli and cauliflower, nuts, seeds, and whole grains are all sources of choline.
For more information on conquering distractions and finding focus, check out Improving Concentration and Focus, an online guide from Harvard Medical School.
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About the Reviewer
Howard E. LeWine, MD, Chief Medical Editor, Harvard Health Publishing; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing
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