It’s no secret that inflammation and disease go hand-in-hand.

In fact, skyrocketing levels of inflammation in the body have been connected to everything from gut issues and obesity to heart disease and diabetes.

Even worse, science has shown that inflammatory problems in one area of the body can lead to inflammation of the brain and trigger the development of dementia.

The answer?

Eating foods that tamp down that inflammation, rather than driving it ever higher.

Known as an anti-inflammatory diet, it’s an eating pattern that’s already been shown to block inflammation, help keep bones from becoming brittle and weak and slash heart disease risk.

And according to research at the Aging Research Center at Karolinska Institute, it can even stand against the chronic low-grade inflammation considered a key feature of cardiometabolic disease — and reduce the elevated dementia risk these conditions carry.

Eating for better brain health

The new study followed the health of over 84,000 seniors who had been diagnosed with a cardiometabolic disease (type 2 diabetes and/or heart disease or stroke), but who were dementia-free at the time the research began for 15 years.

Each participant answered food questionnaires at five points during the study so researchers could determine whether or not they followed an anti-inflammatory diet and compare their eating habits to dementia risk.

Additionally, close to 9,000 of the participants also underwent magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI, brain scans. Here’s how the results shook out:

• People who ate the most anti-inflammatory foods had larger gray matter volume in their brains — a marker indicating lower levels of brain-harming neurodegeneration.
• Eating an anti-inflammatory diet was also associated with fewer white matter hyperintensities, which are signs of vascular injury in the brain.
• Dementia risk was 31% lower for those who followed an anti-inflammatory diet.

When asked about the results, Dr. David Katz, a specialist in preventive and lifestyle medicine, had this to say: “Even after one is contending with a chronic, cardiometabolic condition, the adoption of a higher quality diet appears to offer some protection to the brain, reducing and delaying both functional and anatomical signs of degradation.”

How to make your diet anti-inflammatory

The impact of maintaining an alkaline (or pH) balance by avoiding acid-forming foods means less acid is produced in the body, and that equates to less inflammation.

Following an anti-inflammatory diet isn’t complex. There’s no calorie counting or points at all involved.

In fact, according to the MD Anderson Cancer Center, “the alkaline diet basically reinforces good, old-fashioned healthy eating. The diet recommends eating more vegetables, fruits and drinking lots of water and cutting back on sugar, alcohol, meat and processed foods.”

Ultra-processed foods, especially, are subjected to processing that can drive up inflammation in the body and have been associated with increased dementia risk.

Choose instead inflammation-busting foods like:

• Olive oil
• Tomatoes
• Nuts (including walnuts and almonds)
• Green leafy vegetables (like kale, spinach and collard greens)
• Fatty fish (such as salmon, sardines, tuna and mackerel)
• Fruits (like blueberries, strawberries, oranges and cherries)

Finally, consider taking an omega-3 supplement, which helps guard against inflammation. Although these fatty acids are found in the fish recommended above, it can be hard to get enough from food sources alone.

Remember, fighting back against inflammation is a daily commitment you make every time you sit down to eat. Making good choices now means a better brain tomorrow.

Sources:

Dementia Risk Dropped With Anti-Inflammatory Diet for Certain Patients – MEDPAGETODAY

Eating these foods lowers dementia risk, even with type 2 diabetes and heart disease, study says — CNN

The best diet for better bone density – Easy Health Options

What’s the relationship between diabetes and dementia? – Harvard Health Publishing

Dementia and Heart Health: Are They Related? – Johns Hopkins Medicine

Omega-3 Fatty Acids And Inflammation – You Are What You Eat! – NIH