By JOSH SAUNDERS and CLARE O’REILLY SMALL adjustments in your lifestyle could ward off problems in later life. Experts revealed yesterday that just one extra portion of vegetables a day in your 40s could lower the risk of dementia. A study found the consumption habits of the middle-aged were the strongest predictor of the likelihood of developing the memory-robbing disease in later life.
Those with diets high in plant-food groups, including leafy greens, beans, whole fruits and whole grains, were considered “most protective”. It found that small changes, such as adding one more helping of veg per day to your diet, could reduce the risk of scoring poorly in brain function tests by four per cent. Dr Kelly Cara, who worked on the US study, said: “Improvements to dietary patterns up to midlife may influence cognitive performance and help mitigate, or lessen, cognitive decline in later years.
” But eating more of the green stuff isn’t the only way to reduce your risk. Here we reveal some of the easy hacks to health . .
. CHOCOLATE: Eating six squares of 70 per cent dark chocolate can increase memory by ten per cent, a study from Harvard University found. That is because it contains flavanols — antioxidants which neutralise harmful molecules called free radicals, which damage cells and lead to Alzheimer’s.
A 500mg dose of flavanols can also be found in one mug of tea or a couple of servings of berries and apples. FLOSS: Maintaining good oral hygiene doesn’t just ma.
