TV doctor swears by diet staple to 'protect brain' and avoid dementia
We all know how important it is to keep a balanced diet and look after our bodies through food to help promote a happy and healthy lifestyle.
We're often told about which exercises can help improve our physical health and wellbeing, but sometimes we neglect our brains - a complex organ that needs protecting too.
Foods that can help keep our minds sharp are important, and renowned TV doctor has revealed the one diet staple he recommends to help protect our brain and avoid dementia.
Dr Michael Mosley, who popularised the Fast 800 diet, has praised a "brain protective" nutrient found in various foods - omega-3.
Found in fish, seaweed and supplements, Dr Mosley explained how omega-3 benefits your brain health, as well as protecting your heart and boosting your immune system. Including this nutrient in your diet is important, and the fatty acid comes in different forms, but Dr Mosley shared the two most important types are DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid).
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"Omega 3 is an essential fatty acid, which means it is vital for our health but, unfortunately, your body can't produce it, so the only way to get enough of it is through your diet (which is why it's called 'essential'). Among other things, they keep your brain cells healthy and talk to each other," Dr Mosley explained in the Mail.
Although vital, the health guru claimed Brits aren't eating enough omega-3-rich foods. "Most Brits eat nothing like the recommended amounts. A survey in 2019 found that only a quarter regularly eat oily fish, and the groups who need omega 3 the most (children, teenagers and pregnant women) are eating the least." For those who are vegan, vegetarian or don't like fish, he recommends seaweed instead. Even though it doesn't contain as much omega-3 as fish, it helped" sustain our ancestors down the millennia".
Dr Michael Mosley isn't the only expert to hail the benefits of an omega-3-rich diet, as a study published in the journal Neurology by researchers at the University of Texas shared their findings. They revealed there was a strong link between levels of EPA and DHA in the blood and brain health. They also found that people with the highest levels of EPA and DHA "performed better on cognitive tests."
As well as this, they found that people who carried a variant of the APOE4 gene - which is linked to a "much higher risk" of developing Alzheimer's - but also had high levels of DHA and EPA, "had less brain damage than those who didn't." This study proved that omega-3 helps protect your brain.
The NHS recommends we should eat at least two portions of fish a week - including one oily fish - and one portion is around 140g.
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