Ep. 101: The Link Between Diet, Inflammation & Brain Health with Leslie Beck
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Mounting evidence suggests that our diet may play a role in our brain health as we get older. Age-related inflammation, or “inflammaging,” has recently been linked to higher risks of chronic disease, dementia and Alzheimer’s. But how can we know which foods spur inflammaging, and which foods help to reduce it? In today’s episode, Medcan’s director of food and nutrition, Leslie Beck, RD explores the connection between diet, inflammation and brain health as we age, and guides us through the foods we can incorporate into our diet to help keep our brains and bodies healthier, longer.
LINKS:
Visit Leslie Beck’s Twitter page and her website.
Read Beck’s Globe and Mail article on the topic of inflammation and aging.
Check out the study that Leslie discusses with Shaun, published in Neurology in November 2020.
Read a blog post called “Tackling inflammation to fight age-related ailments” in the New York Times’ Well blog.
See where your favourite foods fall on the Dietary Inflammatory Index.
INSIGHTS:
“Inflammation can actually be a good thing,” says Beck. Intermittent inflammation is how your immune system responds in order to heal from injury and infection. But if the inflammation is chronic, regardless of the presence of injury, that’s when it can become harmful and lead to higher risks of disease. [3:25]
After we turn 40, our immune system produces more inflammatory compounds. Beck refers to this phenomenon as “inflammaging,” and it can increase the risk of age-related chronic disease, cognitive impairment, dementia and Alzheimer’s. Consequently, as we age, it becomes more important than ever to incorporate anti-inflammatory foods into our diet. [5:41]
A study in Neurology found that participants with diets high in inflammatory foods were three times more likely to develop dementia over the study period. To calculate inflammation levels, the study used the Dietary Inflammation Index (DII), an online risk calculator that scores the inflammatory potential of your diet. A high score indicates a highly inflammatory diet, whereas a low score indicates a more anti-inflammatory diet. [7:20]
Want to adopt an anti-inflammatory diet? Try to avoid added sugars, refined grains, fried foods and processed and red meats, all of which contribute to a higher dietary inflammatory score on the DII, according to Beck. A diet that includes too many calories, unhealthy fats and processed foods can also contribute to inflammation by producing too many free radicals, or unstable oxygen molecules that can damage your other cells. [9:57]
To reduce your risk of age-related chronic disease, dementia and Alzheimer’s, Beck recommends a diet that’s high in fibre and colourful fruits and vegetables. “Try to eat berries at least twice a week… beans and lentils four times a week, and nuts should be included at least five times a week,” says Beck. “And I would challenge everyone to get those leafy greens in your diet every day.” [15:33]