ROMANIA

This may be the first time you’ve heard of it, but diets rich in choline may help protect your brain from the affects of ageing, Daily Mail writes. The nutrient from the B vitamin family is found in foods like chicken, eggs and saltwater fish as well as legumes such as kidney beans.

Researchers at Boston University found people who got plenty of choline in their diets performed better on memory tests and were less likely to show brain changes associated with dementia.

The findings add to evidence that your lifetime diet may make a difference in how your brain ages, said senior researcher Dr Rhoda Au. However, she cautioned against looking to any one nutrient as a magic bullet against dementia.

‘I think the message is that eating a healthy, balanced diet in mid-life is important,’ she said.

Previous research has found a Mediterranean-style diet, which includes fish, vegetables and olive oil, might have a protective effect.

For the latest study, Dr Au combed through the results from a long-running heart health survey. Nearly 1,400 adults aged 36 to 83 answered dietary questionnaires between 1991 and 1995. Then, between 1998 and 2001, they underwent tests of memory and other cognitive abilities and had MRI brain scans.

The study found, men and women in the top quarter for choline intake performed better on the memory tests than those in the bottom quarter. This held true even when factors including education and fat and calorie intake were taken into consideration.