In the fifth of a series of articles on food and the mind, nutritionist Belinda Rennie looks at the importance of nutrition for mentally healthy seniors.

It's not easy being an expat in Dubai, distanced from our ageing parents and relatives. Knowing that the mental, emotional, physical and spiritual needs of our parents are being managed “back home” can take a great weight off our minds. As we all get older, we confront complex issues that encompass retirement, loss of physical beauty, loneliness and death. Apart from loosing mobility and physical frailty, the aspects we fear most for ourselves and our parents as we age is loosing our mind.

Remaining mentally active as a senior and preventing the onset of memory loss, senility, dementia, Alzheimer's disease and depression is a challenge. Research is coming to light that what we eat now and our lifestyle can determine how mentally healthy we are as seniors. Tune into the early warning signs of accelerated ageing such as lack of energy, lowered immunity, sleep problems, depleted memory, depression, arthritis and weight gain. We don't have to accept the stereotype of ageing as an irreversible process of loss of mental function. Take steps now to ensure a great quality of life in retirement.

Successful ageing focuses on increasing years of healthy productive life through physical activity, supportive relationships and managing stress as well as stimulating mental activities. It is not too late for good nutrition for seniors to help support brain function and studies done in nursing homes testify to the remarkable improvements in quality of life when nutritional supplements support balanced meals.


Dehydration

Most seniors don't drink enough water. The stimulus to drink tends to slow down as we age. CT scans show shrinkage of the brain due to dehydration and is seen in patients with dementia. Language, memory, judgment and visual or spatial abilities can decline slowly in people with dementia, yet these can improve by simply drinking adequate amounts of water and cutting down on diuretics like tea and coffee.

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Power up with protein

Many seniors loose interest or ability in cooking for themselves especially if they are living alone. Combined with difficulty chewing and reduced ability to produce sufficient gastric acid to break down protein, the elderly can run into serious protein and nutrient deprivation. The main nutritional deficiencies found in seniors are protein, zinc, magnesium, and vitamin C and B complex which are the same nutrients involved in neurotransmitter synthesis. These chemical messengers including serotonin and tryptophan help relay messages across nerve cells and help maintain memory, balanced moods and other cognitive functions – basically to “keep all our marbles” as we age.

Eating protein especially in the middle of the day such as lean meat, chicken and fish, eggs or cheese helps keep amino acid levels high to produce neurotransmitters, boost the immune system and prevent infection. With adequate protein intake, seniors can preserve lean body mass, a critical marker for healthy ageing. Balancing protein with carbohydrates and fats over a day in a ratio of 30% protein, 40% carbohydrate and 30% fat is recommended.

Eating slow releasing carbohydrates at night like brown rice, lentils and beans, wholegrain pasta, breads and noodles can have a mildly sedative effect helping seniors who have problems with insomnia. When carbohydrates are eaten, the neurotransmitter tryptophan is transported across the blood brain barrier more easily and then converted into serotonin which helps us to relax and wind down.

Protect the brain

The brain is a highly metabolically active organ always thinking and never resting. In the process of producing energy for all its cellular activities it also creates a high level of free radicals that can damage the fatty membrane covering the nerve cell. So it is not surprising that after a lifetime of use it can wear out in old age. A diet that contains high levels of antioxidant vitamins A, C and E from fruit and vegetables (especially berries) and nuts and seeds can protect the brain from damage along with other powerful antioxidants lipoic acid, CoQ10, glutathione and selenium.

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The herb gingko biloba along with the oils from fatty fish can improve blood flow in the brain. Phospholipids are types of fats incorporated into cell membranes and along with the omega three essential fatty acids make the cell membrane very flexible improving cellular communication. Lecithin and eggs contain large amounts of these phospholipids which are implicated in memory, learning and behavior. Sprinkle lecithin granules onto breakfast cereals or blend them into smoothies and incorporate more organic eggs and fresh fish at lunch time.


Reduce toxicity

The brain is very sensitive to toxins both those produced by the body (endotoxins) and those from the environment (exotoxins). Heavy metals such as lead and mercury and the chemicals from pesticides can cross the blood brain barrier and accumulate in fatty tissue especially the brain. Buy organic food where possible and switch to environmentally friendly cleaning products. Few people use aluminum cookware now when the link between the build up of aluminum in the body and Alzheimer's disease was first made.

Improving detoxification pathways in the liver has a huge impact on the brain. Keeping nutrient levels high like protein, vitamin B6, B12 and folic acid, calcium, magnesium, zinc and the antioxidant vitamins A, C, E helps the liver to manage the toxic load from medications, drugs and environmental chemicals. Vitamin B complex helps the body to lower homocysteine levels, a toxic amino acid that is implicated in heart disease and dementia.

For a fitter, sharper mind diet and exercise is the best prescription with some weight training to maintain lean body mass. Seniors can benefit from eating with others to increase enjoyment of food. Start putting some of these foods on the menu:

The top ten brain foods for seniors

1.Fish, especially oily fish sardines, salmon, mackerel, trout for their quality fats, protein, Vitamin B complex

2.Nuts and seeds – linseeds, sunflower, pumpkin, almond, walnuts, sesame ground up so that they are easier to digest. Rich in minerals, fats, protein and Vitamin E

3.Yoghurt – probiotoic cultures for gut and brain health

4.Pulses – lentils, chick peas, mung beans in soups for slow releasing carbohydrates and therefore sustained energy

5.Wholegrains - oats, amaranth, quinoa for the minerals like calcium, magnesium, silicon and zinc and slow releasing carbohydrates

6.Cheese – goats cheese, quark, cottage cheese are rich in amino acid tryptophan

7.Organic eggs – easy to prepare and high in phospholipids

8.Sea vegetables – wakame, nori and dulse for high mineral and vitamin B6 and B12

9.Ostrich or lean red meat (mince)- high protein, iron and zinc and vitamin B complex

10.Blueberries and other brightly coloured fruits – rich in antioxidant nutrients to protect the brain from free radicals.

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