What’s the best fruit/veg combo for a healthier ageing brain?

It's not too late to start eating better to reap benefits in later life

Eating healthily is important at any age, but it becomes even more so as you get older. Eating well not only helps keep your body healthy, but can also help you stay emotionally balanced, stimulating you to keep your mind sharp, giving you more energy, and helping you resist illness. 

But no matter your age or your previous eating habits, it’s never too late to change your diet and improve the way you think and feel. Now, there's evidence that eating better in midlife is associated with reduced odds of cognitive difficulties later in life.

Photo by Jimmy Dean on Unsplash

As the world's population gets older, dementia is becoming an increasingly common problem. Among the first steps towards preserving your cognitive function as you age is to eat a healthy diet. And a higher consumption of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, legumes, fish, and olive oil is associated with a lower risk of cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease.

However, it‘s unclear whether increasing the diversity of fruits and vegetables eaten, independently of the quantity of these foods consumed, could further reduce the risks of cognitive decline.

Here's a summary of the research to pay attention to, even if you’re already getting your five-a-day.