Want to prevent cognitive decline and dementia in old age? To do this, you need to take care of health in youth..

A new study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine finds that people with prediabetes and diabetes have poorer cognitive performance after age 50 than their healthy peers..

“There are people among us who are very frightened by the prospect of a deterioration in memory and thinking in old age.. Scared even more than a heart attack. If you do something to prevent diabetes and pre-diabetes, then those same things will help you delay cognitive impairment,” says Dr. Elizabeth Selvin, author of the latest work and professor of epidemiology at the Bloomberg School of Public Health at Johns Hopkins University..

To understand the role of diabetes in cognitive decline, Dr. Selvin and her colleagues analyzed data from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study, a long-term study of 15,792 middle-aged people dating back to 1987..

The researchers note that people over 70 years old, who already had diabetes in middle age, had a brain 5 years older on average.. Diabetes mellitus accelerated their cognitive decline: 70-year-old participants performed tests at the level of 75-year-olds. And those who didn't manage their diabetes well had an additional 19% worse brain health, on average..

What is the conclusion? It is necessary to take care of the prevention of diabetes in a timely manner.

Experts Still Not Sure Why Diabetes Leads to Cognitive Impairment. But the good news is that a healthy lifestyle prevents them:.

Lose Weight. Dr. Selvin claims that losing as little as 10% of body weight can significantly reduce the risk of diabetes..

Be active. "

Watch your carbohydrate content in your diet. Try to eat protein foods for breakfast and lunch. This promotes satiety and reduces the risk of unnecessary “snacking” throughout the day.. Dr. Bonsi suggests dividing your plate into 5 parts: 2 parts protein, 2 parts fruit and vegetables, and 1 part carbs like corn or potatoes.. You can't cut out carbs completely, but you need to choose them wisely..

Don't Forget the Valuable Nutrients.

It is necessary to monitor not only the ratio of proteins, fats and carbohydrates. It's too simplistic. Dr. Bonsi says don't forget valuable nutrients like omega-3s that improve brain function. Omega-3 acids are found in salmon, tuna, sardines. B vitamins and turmeric may also be helpful.

Don't Overeat. Even when trying to follow a healthy eating plan, we sometimes allow ourselves to relax and overeat.. This is exactly what you can’t do, then success awaits you.

medbe. en.