Africa-Press – Lesotho. As stated in part one of this article in last week’s edition, seventy-two percent of Americans report that the pandemic is changing how they eat and prepare food, with the majority reporting a renewed interest in eating healthier.
To help Americans achieve this goal, the Produce for Better Health Foundation recommends a plant-forward style of eating. Plant-forward eating promotes eating plant-based foods including fruits, vegetables, and whole grains combined with moderate portions of meat, seafood, dairy, and healthy fats such as olive oil, nuts, peanuts, seeds, and avocados.
With plant-forward eating, the emphasis is on plant-based foods, but no food groups are off limits. The focus is on what you need to add, not what you can’t have.
Research supports a plant-forward or Mediterranean style of eating to not only reduce risks of chronic disease but to promote overall health, including brain health.
Small additions of berries, dark green vegetables, beans and legumes, and nuts all support brain health. For example, blueberries contain several flavonoids including, anthocyanins, an antioxidant that gives blueberries their rich blue color.
Oxidative stress causes the amyloid peptides to clump together in the brain thus increasing the risk of dementia. Anthocyanins help blunt the free-radical oxidative damage of amyloid peptides that cause dementia or Alzheimer’s disease.
Anthocyanin is just one of the phytonutrients in berry fruits that have a neuroprotective effect and help prevent age-related neurodegenerative diseases and improve motor and cognitive function.
Strawberries and blackberries also contain a wide range of antioxidants including caffeic acid, ellagic acid, as well as flavonoids such as anthocyanins, tannins, catechin, quercetin, kaempferol, gallic acid, vitamins C, E, and carotenoids.
With type 2 diabetes there is decreased cerebral blood flow. The exact connection between Alzheimer’s disease and type 2 diabetes is still unknown. However, the relationship between insulin resistance and Alzheimer’s disease is so strong that many in medical research now refer to Alzheimer’s as “diabetes of the brain” or “type 3 diabetes”.
The consumption of blueberries and berries in general, at least two to three times per week, is associated with improved insulin sensitivity and cerebral blood flow.
Green leafy vegetables are important sources of lutein, zeaxanthin, phylloquinones, and folate which are all believed to slow cognitive decline as we age.
In addition, higher dietary intakes of lutein and zeaxanthin are believed to protect against age-related macular degeneration. Leutein and zeaxanthin are carotenoids. Phylloquinone from green leafy vegetables and vegetable oil is the main dietary source of vitamin K.
The protective mechanism provided by green leafy vegetables is due to the lutein, zeaxanthin, and phylloquinones working synergistically to help reduce oxidative stress and neural inflammation in the brain. The recommended goal is one to two servings per day.
It should be noted that people who take Warfarin (Coumadin) or similar anticoagulants need to consume a consistent intake of foods containing vitamin K since changes can increase or decrease the anticoagulant effect.
These individuals should check with their physician before making significant changes in their intake of green leafy vegetables. Beans and legumes are rich in folate and other B vitamins which support the proper function of neurotransmitters.
The high antioxidant activity of beans and legumes reduces neuroinflammation. In addition, some beans such as fava beans contain high amounts of levodopa, a precursor of dopamine.
Levodopa is also an active ingredient in many Parkinson’s medications which help to manage symptoms such as tremors and stiffness. For most people, one to two servings per day are recommended.
Nuts and healthy fats also play an important role in plant-forward eating. Omega-3 alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) has long been established as beneficial for both heart and brain health and for reducing inflammation.
Omega-3 ALA cannot be made by the body, so it is important to consume sources in the diet. Good sources are walnuts, flaxseed, canola oil, and soybean oil.
Peanuts contain smaller amounts of Omega-3 ALA and are less well known in the Mediterranean diet context. However, research suggests that various compounds contained in peanuts may impact both cognitive and mental health.
Specifically, participants who consumed one ounce of peanuts per day or two tablespoons of peanut butter per day over a period of six months had lower cortisol levels (stress hormone) on blood work.
In conclusion, oxidative stress and inflammation are major risk contributors of aging and age-related neurodegenerative diseases. Numerous antioxidant compounds found in plant-based foods offer neuroprotective effects.
With a plant-forward style of eating the emphasis is on plant-based foods and no foods are restricted. The focus is on adding more plant-based foods, not on what you can’t have.
The addition of a range of phytonutrients contained in plant-based foods such as vegetables, beans, legumes, nuts, and berry fruits can be a valuable asset in preventing or delaying neurodegenerative diseases, and are associated with improved insulin sensitivity, improved memory, improved motor skills, and reduced risk of cardiovascular disease. Small changes can make a big difference in preserving health.
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