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| Food like wholegrain can help boost your brain |
A DIET bursting with superfoods like whole grains, nuts and berries can help keep the brain seven years younger, research suggests.
Each plate should be rich in "brain-healthy foods" like vegetables, poultry, fish and olive oil and washed down with a glass of red wine for maximum effect.
Unhealthy options like cheese, pastries and convenience foods can be eaten - but strictly once a week.
Sticking to the diet, called Mind, could help stave off the devastating effects of dementia.
The approach combines a Mediterranean-style diet with Dash - Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension.
Dash was designed to ward off problems associated with high blood pressure, like heart attack and stroke, but the eating plan has been modified to keep both mind and body young.
Professor Martha Clare Morris, who developed the diet at Chicago's Rush University, said: "Everyone experiences decline with ageing therefore prevention of cognitive decline, the defining feature of dementia, is now more important than ever.
"The Mind diet modifies the Mediterranean and Dash diets to highlight the foods and nutrients shown through the scientific literature to be associated with dementia prevention.
"All nuts are very good for the brain because they contain a lot of protein.
"Oily fish, especially salmon and herring are good because they have high Omega-3 content.
"Blueberries are one of the more potent foods in terms of protecting the brain and strawberries also have performed well in past studies of the effect of food on cognitive function."
The Mind diet modifies the Mediterranean and Dash diets to highlight the foods and nutrients shown through the scientific literature to be associated with dementia prevention
To get the maximum benefit people should eat at least three servings of whole grains, a green leafy vegetable and one other vegetable every day, with wine which contains heart-protecting polyphenols.
The diet permits three to five ounces of red meat four times per week, recommends poultry and berries at least twice a week and fish at least once a week.
But to give your brain the best chance of staying young less than a tablespoon of butter or margarine should be eaten each day while cheese, pastries and sweets, fried or fast food should be limited to less than a serving a week.
The healing properties of the Mind diet were confirmed in tests where the mental abilities of 960 adults with an average age of 81 were examined over five years.
None of the participants had dementia and their cognitive ability was tested annually.
Results showed older adults who rigidly stuck to the Mind diet were the equivalent of 7.5 years mentally younger than those who did not.
Alzheimer's researcher Professor Christian Hölscher, of Lancaster University, said: "The study on the beneficial effects of a healthy diet is inspiring and enables everyone of us to do something helpful to reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.
"It is known this dreadful disease is largely triggered by environmental factors and a healthy lifestyle clearly is a sensible strategy to keep healthy in advanced age.
"No drug treatment or special equipment is required, just a bit of common sense in choosing what you eat and how you lead your life."
Previous studies have shown supplementing a Mediterranean diet with antioxidant-rich oil, walnuts, hazelnuts and almonds can boost memory in the elderly.
Dr Laura Phipps of Alzheimer's Research UK added: "Eating a healthy and balanced diet is one of the things people can do to help maintain a healthy brain as they age.
"A Mediterranean-style diet, with plenty of fruits and vegetables, low levels of sugar and saturated fats and a moderate amount of meat and fish has previously been linked with a reduced risk of dementia as well as other health benefits."
The study is published in the journal Alzheimer's & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association.
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