VIENNA, Austria—Eating a "heart healthy" diet and maintaining or increasing participation in moderate physical activity may help preserve memory and thinking abilities as people age, according to new research presented at the Alzheimer's Association 2009 International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease (ICAD 2009).
“Our results suggest that including whole grains, vegetables, low-fat dairy foods, and nuts in one's diet may offer benefits for cognition in late life," said one researcher. "However, we need more research before we can confidently say how much of these foods to include in your diet to experience some benefit."
Studies also found that older adults who are physically active may experience slower rates of cognitive decline.
"We found that older adults who were sedentary throughout the study had the lowest levels of cognitive function at the beginning and experienced the fastest rate of cognitive decline," said a researcher. "Cognitive decline also was faster in those whose physical activity levels consistently declined during the study period."
