It’s always been appreciated that as we age we suffer some memory loss. Even though you may not be senior yet now is the time to start trying to compensate and prevent this loss.

Diet is not just important for body health and fitness but also for the mind and memory so try incorporating these key nutrients into your diet.

·                     Niacin – following a 4 year study at the Rush institute in Chicago of some 800 people aged 65 and over getting the highest daily amount of niacin from food slashed the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Those people who had a daily intake of 22.4mg of niacin had an 80% lower risk than those getting just 12.6mg a day. Sources of niacin can be found in ½ chicken breast (15mg); 3ozs of beef (15mg).

·                     Foliate and B12 are vitamins that control levels of the blood protein homocysteine.   High levels of this protein can damage nerves in your brain.   A Swiss study of some 230 people aged 65 and over found that those with low foliate and B12 levels had 4 times the rate of dementia as those with adequate intakes. The recommended dosages are 400mg of foliate and 6mcg of B12. good sources of both can be found in; foliate; ½ cup cold cereals or lentils (169mcg); B12-3 ounces salmon or canned sardines(6.3mcg).

·                     Phytonutrients – in a Harvard study of 13000 women in the 70’s it was found that those who ate 8 portions per week of leafy green and 5 portions of cruciferous veggies (such as cauliflower or broccoli) during their 60’s reduced their mental aging by 1 to 2 years when compared to those who ate only 3 and 2 portions per week respectively.