Does the consumption of wine and cheese protect the brain?

Good news for wine and cheese lovers: Consuming both could help the brain in old age.

Wine and cheese * are a dream couple, but not just because of the taste!

Iowa State University researchers found in a study that

diet can make a

significant contribution

to reducing

cognitive decline in old age

.

Food has an impact on cognitive skills

The

foods

we eat can have a direct impact on our

cognitive abilities

in later years

.

This is the key finding from an Iowa State University research study.

In the November 2020 issue of the "Journal of Alzheimer's Disease" said study was examined in more detail.

The team analyzed data from

1,787 aging adults

(46 to 77 years old) in the United Kingdom.

The participants completed a so-called Fluid Intelligence Test (FIT) as part of a touchscreen questionnaire at the start of the study (between 2006 and 2010) and then in two subsequent assessments (carried out from 2012 to 2013 and again between 2015 and 2016).

The FIT analysis provides a real-time snapshot of a person's ability to think “on the fly”, that is, spontaneously and without preparation.

The participants also answered questions about their

food and alcohol consumption

at the start of the study and in two follow-up surveys.

The participants were asked about their intake of:

• fresh fruits, dried fruits, raw vegetables and lettuce, cooked vegetables

• oily fish, lean fish, processed meat, poultry, beef, lamb, pork

• Cheese, bread, cereal, tea and coffee

• Beer and cider, red wine, white wine, champagne and brandy

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Results of the study: cheese and wine protect against cognitive problems

Cheese

turned out to be by far the most protective

food against age-related cognitive problems

, even late in life.

Daily consumption of alcohol, especially

red wine

, was associated with improvements in cognitive function.

Weekly consumption of

lamb

, but not other red meat, improves long-term cognitive abilities.

Excessive

salt consumption

is bad - but only those who are already at

risk of Alzheimer's

may need to watch their intake to avoid cognitive problems over time.

For the researchers, the results indicate that responsible

consumption of cheese and red wine

can help cope with an increasingly complex world that is turning faster and faster.

However, it still needs to be examined whether the results can be attributed to the fact that these are foods from rather wealthy people.

Randomized clinical trials are still needed

to test whether simple changes in

diet

can help

the

brain

in a significant way.

Even so, the study leaders believe that the

right food choices

can prevent Alzheimer's and cognitive decline altogether.

(mad) * Merkur.de is part of the nationwide Ippen-Digital editors network.

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