Now is a good time to resolve to enjoy more foods that help protect the brain against inflammation that may speed up brain aging and cognitive decline. Foods that fight inflammation include sweet potatoes, carrots, butternut squash, whole grain products, fruits and green and black tea. Credit: UT Health San Antonio
For elaboration, let’s consult Debora Melo van Lent, PhD, nutrition scientist and epidemiologist at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio.
During her work with the health science center’s Glenn Biggs Institute for Alzheimer’s and Neurodegenerative Diseases, Melo van Lent used a tool called the Dietary Inflammatory Index to rank nutrients , whole foods and bioactive components consumed by participants in the Framingham Heart Study.
Nutrients and foods either promote inflammation or protect against it, Melo van Lent said. The Dietary Inflammatory Index is a way to assess that in groups of people.
Melo van Lent and colleagues suspect that foods that cause inflammation speed up brain aging and cognitive decline. The team indeed found associations between brain volume and Dietary Inflammatory Index scores. Higher.