Cutting back on sugar and high-glycemic carbs? According to a new study from the Mayo Clinic, it could help to preserve your memory and brain health. This study found that diets high in carbohydrates and simple sugar are linked with cognitive decline in older people. Is it time to give up the cookies and cupcakes?
Cognitive Decline, Memory and a High-Carbohydrate Diet
Researchers at the Mayo Clinic recently looked at the impact diet had on the cognitive health of 938 seniors age 70 and over. After following their diet and testing their cognitive function every 15 months for 4 years, they found that seniors who ate a diet high in carbs, especially simple sugars, were more likely to develop mild cognitive impairment.
What is mild cognitive impairment? Mild cognitive impairment is a term used to describe memory and thinking problems that aren’t as severe as those people with Alzheimer’s experience, although people who have it are at higher risk for progressing to full-blown dementia.
People with mild cognitive impairment can usually function in a relatively normal manner unless their memory problems progress, but they’re more forgetful, may have trouble following conversations and constantly misplace things. It’s not uncommon to experience a few “senior moments” once you hit middle-age, but people with mild cognitive impairment have them more often and they’re more severe.
In this study, eating a diet with a higher ratio of protein and fat relative to carbs was protective against this type of cognitive decline while a diet rich in carbs, especially sugar, increased the risk.
More Evidence That Diet Affects Brain Health
This isn’t the first study to show a link between diet and brain health. Other research shows the Mediterranean diet, a diet that emphasizes unprocessed foods, particularly fruits and vegetables, lean protein sources and healthy fat sources like monounsaturated fats in nuts and olive oil and polyunsaturated fats in fatty fish, to be strongly protective against cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease. Although the Mediterranean diet isn’t low in carbohydrates, it emphasizes fiber-rich carbohydrate sources from fruits, vegetables, and whole grains rather than the processed carbs that make up the Western diet.
Why would a diet high in carbohydrates and simple sugars increase the risk of cognitive impairment later? One explanation is the effect high-glycemic carbohydrates have on insulin levels. Processed carbs are absorbed more rapidly, leading to insulin spikes that can progress to insulin resistance over time. That’s not a good thing when it comes to brain health.
A study published in the Archives of Neurology found a link between insulin resistance and cognitive impairment. The same insulin resistance that contributes to belly fat, heart disease, and type 2-diabetes may put you at risk for memory and cognitive problems later on as well.
Are Healthy Fats Protective?
Most people think of fat as being bad for your brain – and your heart. After all, high levels of saturated fat can clog arteries and contribute to stroke and arterial blockage that impacts brain health. On the other hand, research suggests that some types of fat like the monounsaturated fats in nuts and olive oil offer some protection against mental decline. In fact, a compound in extra-virgin olive oil called oleocanthal positively impacts brain proteins that are linked with Alzheimer’s disease. At the same time, the monounsaturated fats in olive oil lower the risk of stroke, another common cause of cognitive impairment.
Some studies have linked with omega-3 fatty acids from fatty fish with a lower risk for cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease, but a recent study failed to support this finding, so the verdict is still out on omega-3s and brain health. Some foods that have been linked with better cognitive function and memory include blueberries, chocolate, red wine, grapes, and walnuts.
The Bottom Line?
What you put into your mouth may have an impact on the health of your brain and your risk for developing cognitive problems later in life. Lighten up on the high-glycemic carbs and simple sugars and choose healthier fat sources like the monounsaturated fat in olive oil and nuts over saturated fats to keep your gray matter healthy as you age.
References:
Medical News Today. “Too Many Carbs, Too Much Sugar May Increase Risk of Cognitive Impairment”
J. Neural Transm. 2003 Jan; 110(1): 95-110.
Arch. Neurol. 2005 Jul;62(7):1067-72.
Arch. Neurol. 2009; 66(2):216-225.
Nutraingredients USA website. “Olive oil extract shows brain-protecting benefits”
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