Blue Zone Doctor: Better to eat fish than a vegetarian for brain health

But a new study of more than 88,000 Adventists in North America adds a caveat. New research suggests that while vegetarian diets are generally good for a person’s overall health, they may not be the best deal for an aging brain.

“Even though the vegetarian diet does a lot of good things, once you get people into their 80s, it looks like some improvement is possible,” said Gary Fraser, an Adventist cardiologist and public health researcher who lives in Loma Linda. for Business. Insider. “It may not be the meat, of course, but it could be.”

Fraser’s new study found that vegetarian Adventists who lived past 80 suffered slightly higher rates of stroke, dementia and Parkinson’s disease than other Adventists who ate meat.

He developed a two-part weekly plan for his own brain health based on his own research. Includes a daily supplement and a recurring menu item.

Being a vegetarian is good for you in the early years

Vegetarian and vegan diets—especially those with beans and whole grains—are excellent at reducing the risk of life-threatening diseases.

“We’re kind of used to vegetarians doing well in everything,” Fraser said. “We have very good evidence that, in general, vegetarian diets are very good at preventing a substantial number of what we might call ‘premature deaths’ in the 50s, 60s, maybe early 70s.”

Even in old age, a good anti-inflammatory vegetarian diet can reduce the chances of kidney failure, infectious disease, type 2 diabetes or heart disease, Fraser’s latest study found.

So eating ultra-processed red meat or poultry every day is not a longevity solution. Research suggests that for most of us, the opposite is true: swapping out a few servings of bacon here and there or regular hot dogs for some beans and whole grains would boost our cognitive health.

Fraser suspects that what’s happening with the aging brain and meat consumption data may be down, at least in part, to an absorption problem. As we age, our bodies become less efficient at converting essential nutrients, such as the omega-3 fatty acids in the nuts or oils we eat, into the brain food we need to thrive.

“Lack of long-chain omega-3s in very old people may be part of the problem,” he hypothesized.

This does not mean that the average meat eater’s diet is a boon for brain health. Fraser’s team studied only Adventists, people who (generally speaking) have a healthier, more nutrient-dense diet than most people.

Overall, it’s still hard to argue with the existing body of evidence that suggests leaning more vegetarian, including leafy greens, lots of colorful vegetables, and a generous amount of olive oil, is great for brain health and certainly , better than what the researchers. referred to as the “standard American diet” SAD, which is high in ultra-processed cookies, snacks and sugary drinks, but low in nutrition.

This doctor’s winning weekly routine includes fish and a supplement – the same longevity pill that demons love

At home in California, Fraser, a practicing Adventist in his late 70s, follows a fairly simple weekly routine. It doesn’t tend to include a lot of red meat or dairy, but there are two core components he points to that are aimed at maintaining brain health.

First, there is the fish. Fraser recommends eating about two meals a week that include some kind of fatty fish with plenty of omega-3s. His personal favorite?

“Salmon is the one I like best,” he said. But sardines, herring, anchovies and trout are also good choices.

Salmon is an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids, which are essential for keeping our brains healthy. Previous research has already suggested strong links between omega-3 consumption and better cognition. A 2022 study found that middle-aged adults who regularly consume omega-3s tend to have better abstract reasoning and that the areas of their brain responsible for learning and memory are physically larger.

Fatty fish, meat and eggs are also rich in the nutrient choline. Choline keeps our cells healthy and helps with memory, mood and overall brain function. While there’s a good dose in soybeans and potatoes, it tends to be most abundant in meatier foods like chicken, beef, eggs, and fish.

“Choline is another very important chemical in brain tissues,” he said. “And again, vegetarians don’t get much of it.”

In addition to his usual servings of fish, Fraser also takes 4000-5000 IU of vitamin D a day – more than five times the recommended daily allowance for his age group (800 IU). Many other longevity doctors and public health experts, including Dr. Anthony Fauci, also say they consume high doses of vitamin D. Fraser says he’s comfortable with such a colossal dose because he knows our ability to you absorb vitamin D from the sun decreases with age. Additionally, in addition to being good for bone health, there is some evidence that vitamin D is good for maintaining brain function.

But Fraser says that in general, people under 70 don’t need to worry so much about all this. As we age, the way the body works and absorbs nutrients changes.

It’s not yet clear why, but Fraser says, “Until you get to age 75, say, or so, you’d be wise to add some fish until we know better.”