In this episode Scientific Researcher and PhD candidate, Sarah Gauci, shares what she has been learning about the relationship between different dietary patterns and cognitive performance in older adults.
This is important information to understand because Australia’s population (like many Western countries) is ageing and the more we understand about how certain lifestyle factors can attenuate the risk of cognitive decline the better for individuals and for society as a whole.
We discuss risk factors for cognitive decline; some, like age, are non-modifiable but the positive news is that many risk factors, like smoking, exercise and diet are modifiable. We focus specifically on dietary patterns as lifestyle interventions (like improving fruit and vegetable intake) are potentially available to all and more economical than pharmacological interventions to implement on a large scale. Lifestyle interventions have numerous other upsides too. For example, a diet that is good for your brain is also good for your cardiovascular and metabolic health. Sarah has found traditional dietary patterns such as the Mediterranean, Nordic and Okinawan are associated with better cognitive health as we age.
Tune in to find our more about the best foods for our brains.
MENTIONED IN THE PODCAST
- 20 PhDs in 20 minutes:https://www.rrr.org.au/explore/podcasts/einstein-a-go-go/episodes/4284-round-2-of-20-phds-in-20-mins
- Pint of Science: https://pintofscience.com.au
