More to brain health than diet
Reached for comment, Majid Fotuhi, MD, PhD, adjunct professor of neuroscience at George Washington University, Washington, noted that participants who enroll in clinical trials that focus on diet become more aware of their eating habits and shift toward a healthier diet.
“This may explain the reason why both groups of participants in this study improved,” said Dr. Fotuhi, medical director of NeuroGrow Brain Fitness Center, McLean, Va.
However, he believes that better brain health requires a multipronged approach.
“In order to see significant results, people need to improve their diet, become physically fit, sleep well, reduce their stress, engage in cognitively challenging activities, and develop a positive mind set,” said Dr. Fotuhi.
“Interventions that target only one of these goals may not produce results that are as remarkable as multimodal programs, which target all of these goals,” Dr. Fotuhi said.
Dr. Fotuhi developed a multidimensional “brain fitness program” that has shown to provide multiple benefits for individuals with memory loss, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and post-concussion syndrome.
“Having provided our 12-week program for thousands of patients in the past 10 years, I have noticed a synergistic effect in patients who incorporate all of these changes in their day-to-day life and maintain it over time. They often become sharper and feel better overall,” Dr. Fotuhi told this news organization.
The study was supported by the National Institute on Aging. Disclosures for study authors are listed with the original article. Dr. Fotuhi has disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.