Which Vitamins, Foods, & Supplements Help Prevent Dementia?

Posted on September 15th, 2023 to Dementia by

According to Alzheimer’s Disease International, there is a new dementia diagnosis about every three seconds. Several diseases (both age-related and not age-related) can cause dementia.

Regardless of the cause, dementia involves changes in nerve cells and neural connections in different areas of the brain. These changes can be devastating for the individual. Everything from the individual’s memory and reasoning to their social capacity and ability to live a normal, independent life can be affected.

With dementia being so prevalent and difficult to treat and manage with pharmaceuticals, there has been a substantial focus on prevention. While there are no known precise ways to prevent dementia, there are several foods, vitamins, and supplements that have shown promise when it comes to neural protection.

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What Foods Help Prevent Dementia?

Numerous studies have shown that food has an influence on cognitive function. Therefore, the last few years have brought about a lot of interest in how we can use food to prevent dementia. Certain foods may even heighten inflammation and oxidative stress, both of which are related to Alzheimer’s disease. Further, some foods may increase dementia risks indirectly due to contributing to conditions like heart disease and diabetes.

A variation of the Mediterranean diet called the Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay Diet (MIND Diet) has been developed. In a clinical trial evaluating the effectiveness of the MIND diet, stroke patients had a reduced rate of cognitive decline after a stroke. This diet includes consuming:

  • Whole grains
  • Berries
  • Leafy green vegetables
  • Other vegetables
  • Fish
  • Poultry
  • Nuts
  • Olive oil
  • Wine

Foods that should be limited include cheese, red meat, butter/margarine, fried foods, and sweets.

It’s important to note that no one diet will be right for everyone, and the MIND diet is just one example that might help prevent dementia, largely because it has a low glycemic index and includes minimal seed oils (like canola, sunflower and safflower). Obesity, metabolic syndrome, and diabetes are strongly associated with dementia (and other diseases). The best ways to prevent these conditions and maintain metabolic health include exercise, reducing carbohydrate intake, avoiding seed oils (present in most fried foods), and consuming nutrient-dense foods like above-ground vegetables and healthy meats.

What Vitamins Help Prevent Dementia?

If you are eating a well-rounded diet like the MIND diet, you are likely already getting many vitamins to prevent dementia or at least lower your risks. The Alzheimer’s Research and Prevention Foundation mentions a number of memory-specific nutrients that may be good for preventing dementia, many of which are naturally consumed in a healthy diet, such as:

  • Antioxidant vitamins like C
  • Omega-3 fatty acids
  • Coenzyme Q10
  • Alpha lipoid acid
  • Acetyl-L carnitine
  • Phosphatidylserine

What Supplements Prevent Dementia?

Adjusting dietary intake is ideal for potentially lowering dementia risks due to the value of nutrients consumed from whole foods. However, supplements may also be an option for those that do not follow the most well-balanced diet plans.

For the sake of clarity, supplements are dietary supplements that may contain other agents beyond simply vitamins or nutrients. Many herbal or natural agents fall into this category.

Unfortunately, some of the latest cumulative reviews from the Cochrane Library have yielded only limited evidence that basic dietary supplements like B complex or antioxidant supplements may preserve cognitive function and deter dementia in healthy individuals.

Nevertheless, taking a good dietary supplement may still be valuable, especially if it contains some of the aforementioned vitamins and nutrients.

What About Herbal Supplements to Prevent Dementia?

Herbal or natural plant-based supplements have gained substantial traction in recent years as viable preventative agents for many conditions. While there are very few studies on herbal agents and dementia, there are a few that have shown promise.

Ginkgo Biloba is commonly used in European countries to target neurodegenerative conditions like dementia.

Cannabidiol (CBD)—the primary active cannabinoid found in hemp—is also gaining attention for its neuroprotective effects. CBD has been shown to affect the synaptic plasticity of neural cells and possibly reduce the effect of brain damage after certain neural events. This could prove to be valuable for the prevention of cognitive decline.

An Afterword from Healer

While there is still a lot to learn about preventing dementia, vitamins, supplements, and even herbal agents like cannabinoids such as CBD could play a key role. For this reason, many people have chosen to follow a CBD oil regimen for ongoing neural system support.

Be sure to follow the HealerCBD.com to continue to learn about CBD for dementia.

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The information in this post/article is provided for educational purposes and is not a substitute for or alternative to information from your healthcare providers. Statements and claims on this website have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Any products mentioned are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.