Impact Brief – February 2023

National Nutrition Month is a nutrition education and information campaign sponsored annually by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Informed food choices and developing sound eating and physical activity habits can help prevent and manage diabetes, hypertension, and a healthy heart, all risk factors for cognitive decline and dementia. A balanced diet, or a diet providing all of the essential elements that the human body needs to manage these chronic conditions, can also contribute to a healthy brain and reduced risk of Alzheimer’s and related dementias (ADRD).

 Several foods  are linked to improved brain health. Foods linked to better brainpower.

• Eat leafy greens every day. Leafy greens can help slow cognitive decline. 
• Eat fish once a week. Omega-3 fatty acids found in fish have been linked with lowering the levels of a harmful protein that affects the brains of people with Alzheimer’s Disease.
• Eat berries for dessert. Berries contain flavonoids, which can improve your memory.
• Snack on walnuts. They can help improve your memory and protect your brain health. 

The MIND diet, a mix of the DASH  and Mediterranean diets, can help improve your brain health. 

A diet that is heart-healthy can also improve your brain health. Heart-healthy diets can lower your blood pressure and protect your arteries. Those benefits can also prevent a stroke.

NACDD partners with the CDC and the Alzheimer’s Association to support ways to maintain your brain health. To learn more about healthy brain resources and how to reduce the risk of ADRD, please visit: 

• NACDD Action on Healthy Aging and Brain Health
• CDC Alzheimer’s Disease and Healthy Aging, Dementia Risk Reduction
• The Alzheimer’s Association Public Health Center of Excellence for Risk Reduction