Scientists at The Australian National University (ANU) suggest that eating more magnesium-rich foods like spinach and nuts can help our brain be in better shape as we grow older. Plus, it can also help lower the chances of getting dementia – a severe illness which is sadly one of the leading causes of death in Australia and globally.
Scientists have discovered that people who eat a lot of magnesium can make their brains appear one year younger by the time they reach 55. This was found after studying over 6,000 healthy adults aged 40 to 73 in the UK. These people ate around 550 milligrams of magnesium every day, which is about twice as much as people who ate a more normal amount (350 milligrams).
According to a research conducted by the ANU National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, increasing your magnesium intake by 41 percent could lead to better brain health. This is because it reduces age-related shrinkage of the brain, which improves cognitive function and even lowers the risk or delays the onset of dementia in later life. So make sure you’re eating healthy foods that are high in magnesium!
Experts predict that by 2050, there will be more than double the amount of people who currently have dementia. This means that many health and social services as well as the global economy will have to deal with a lot of extra strain.
Doctors from the Australian National University suggested that because there is no cure for dementia, we should focus on preventing it instead of just trying to make medicines. They found out that by eating healthy foods, we can keep our brains from aging too quickly.
Researchers have found that having a good amount of magnesium in our diets from a young age could protect us from diseases related to old age and make sure our brains stay sharp when we reach our 40s.
Mariam Alateeq, one the researchers, said higher intakes of magnesium may help earlier on from the aging process and stop any effects before we even turn forty. This means everyone should watch how much magnesium they are getting!
The study showed that when women added more magnesium to their diet, it helped protect their brains. Interestingly, post-menopausal women seemed to benefit even more from this effect. This might be because magnesium has an anti-inflammatory effect in the body.
Researchers asked the participants to take part in a survey five times over a 16-month period. The answers that the participants provided were used to calculate how much magnesium they ate each day. This was done by counting up all the different types of food that have magnesium in them, such as vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds and wholegrains. The results were then used to estimate the average amount of magnesium eaten by the participants.
Scientists recently published a study in the European Journal of Nutrition. The title of this study is “Dietary magnesium intake is related to larger brain volumes and lower white matter lesions with notable sex differences”.
