Just in time for the holidays, the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease published some encouraging news:

Minor dietary changes could reduce the decline of fluid intelligence as we age!

The impact of healthy eating choices such as the Mediterranean diet on brain function has been well researched. While this concept is firmly established, there is still controversy about what specific food choices are correlated with better cognition as we age. Is it the olive oil…? The fresh vegetables and greens…?

While these items certainly contribute to robust health, scientists with Iowa State University specifically named two of my personal favorite holiday indulgences as beneficial to the brain. Researchers conducted a large-scale analysis of data from 1700+ adults between the ages of 45 and 78. Between 2006 and 2010 these participants took a Fluid Intelligence Test (FIT) and completed a Food Frequency Questionnaire, then repeated the assessments approximately 5-6 years later.

The shocking holiday indulgence correlated with less cognitive decline?

Cheese and Red Wine!

“Daily cheese intake strongly predicted better FIT scores over time…and red wine was sometimes additionally protective.”

Happy Holidays!

MBJ
By Terissa Michele Miller, MS Psy

Check out the original research:

https://content.iospress.com/articles/journal-of–alzheimers-disease/jad201058