The Age-Well Project

Change the way you age

Get our posts direct to your inbox

  • About The Age-Well Project
  • Books
    • Our Books
    • Reviews
    • References
  • Blog
  • Recipes
    • Recipes By Ingredient
    • Breakfast
    • Dessert
    • Dinner
    • Drinks
    • Family
    • On The Go
    • Soups and Salads
    • Treats and Snacks
  • Contact
  • Events
  • Press

THE SILVER BULLET FOR ALZHEIMER’S? AND OUR FAVOURITE CHRISTMAS RECIPES

December 23, 2020 Leave a Comment

It’s going to be a strange Christmas for many of us: plans scrapped at the last minute, not seeing friends and family in the way that we hoped and potential food shortages. Honestly, who’s stockpiling lettuce?! The only option is to make this  festive season the best we can, finding joy in the small things and looking after ourselves.

Let me cheer you with some good news. Two of the treats of Christmas (for me at least) have been linked to reduced Alzheimer’s risk in a study published last month. The research looked at how consumption of specific foods connected to cognitive acuity in later life and found that cheese and red wine, in particular, were linked to reduced risk of mental decline. The research was done in the States, but used data collected by the UK Biobank  from British volunteers.

How the research was done

Participants were tested for Background Fluid Intelligence, which involves solving abstract problems. Decline in ability to solve these problems is linked to greater Alzheimer’s risk. The study revealed cheese consumption to be protective against age-related cognitive problems. Drinking red wine was related to improvements in cognitive function.

As always, I’m not encouraging you to drink more (and since the first lockdown began, my alcohol consumption is at an all-time low) but if you fancy a glass, enjoy it guilt-free. The research suggests daily consumption of wine and cheese are beneficial but that seems a bit much to me. And I can’t find a reference to portion size. It occurs to me that those who consume cheese and wine regularly are more likely to be able to afford good quality foods. The lead researchers on the project did take this into account and have called for randomised control trials (the gold standard of medical research) to drill down further into the relationship between specific foods and brain health. They said, ‘ [we] believe the right food choices can prevent [Alzheimer’s] disease and cognitive decline altogether. Perhaps the silver bullet we’re looking for is upgrading how we eat.’

That silver bullet

This ‘silver bullet’ is  indeed the key to ageing well, as far as I’m concerned. Picking the best, unprocessed foods we can afford, not fixating on avoiding food groups, or harsh diets, is the best way to nurture our health as we get older. It’s certainly something I intend to focus on in 2021.

Of course, there are many benefits to eating cheese: its impact on our gut health and the concentration of spermidine. Red wine is packed with resveratrol  and procyanidins. But I do wonder – and this is just me musing out loud, not backed by clinical science – if the link between consuming cheese and wine and improved cognitive function relates in any way to the fact that they’re so darn enjoyable! Relaxing and eating foods which give us pleasure releases endorphins and serotonin, and happiness helps us age well. (We’ve written about the links between happiness and longevity in our books The Age-Well Project and The Age-Well Plan). And isn’t enjoying a little cheese and wine more fun than eating all that stockpiled lettuce?!

Our favourite festive recipes

We’ve got lots of lovely festive recipes on the blog: if you’re looking for inspiration for some of those endless meals that seem to be required between now and early January, do check out some of our favourites:

Christmas nuts – the perfect snack 

Griddled Brussel sprouts with parmesan – see photo above, we could eat sprouts like this all year round 

Spiced parsnip soup – warming and hearty – a good soup helps round out a meal of leftovers 

Vegetable tartlets for Christmas dinner  – or any dinner when you don’t want to eat meat 

Lentil and herb soup with pomegranate fattoush – I’ll be making this on Christmas Eve

What are you cooking this festive season? Let us know in the comments below.

Wishing you a peaceful and merry Christmas, and an Age-Well New Year!

Susan

  • Meal Types: Family
  • Conditions: Ageing, Alzheimer's
  • Ingredients: Brussel sprouts
« WHY A 12 MINUTE WALK IS ALL IT TAKES (AND A SPECIAL OFFER)
WHAT’S HAPPENING IN YOUR BODY AS YOU AGE, AND A BRAIN HEALTH MASTERCLASS »

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter

Welcome to The Age-Well Project

Welcome to The Age-Well Project!
Here you’ll find easy changes for a longer, happier life. We’ve immersed ourselves in the science of longevity and distilled the research to make it work in our everyday lives. You can change the way you age: here’s how.

Favourite Posts

WHY I’VE THROWN OUT ALL MY BEAUTY PRODUCTS (nearly…)

Why Alzheimer’s Is A Women’s Issue

HOW HAVING A DOG CHANGED MY LIFE

GREEN SPACE IS GOOD FOR YOUR HEALTH

SUGAR, CHOCOLATE, SADNESS AND BRAIN-BOOSTING BISCUITS

WHY ‘INFLAMM-AGEING’ COULD START IN THE GUT AND HARISSA-ROASTED VEGETABLE SALAD

POLYAMINES – THE NEW SECRET WEAPON FOR AGEING WELL & MOROCCAN SPINACH AND CHICKPEAS.

THINNING AGEING HAIR – WARM CHICKEN LIVER SALAD

About The Age Well Project

This site is for anyone who wants to make the second half of their life as healthy, happy and disease-free as possible. Sign up to get the latest research on ageing – and delicious recipes to match – direct to your inbox.

agewellproject

⭐️Change the way you age
📚The Age-Well Project + Age-Well Plan ⭐️Get tips & recipes on our blog - sign up ⬇️

The Age-Well Project blog
Everything we’ve learnt about ageing well points Everything we’ve learnt about ageing well points to a time (for women at least) in their mid-60s when the chronic conditions of ageing, like diabetes, heart disease and dementia, are - statistically - more likely to kick in. 

And we know that our reproductive hormones do so much more than prepare us to have periods and babies, we have receptors for them throughout our bodies and brains. 

Oestrogen, in particular, helps keep bones strong, blood vessels flexible, brains firing and inflammation levels low. Essentially, it wraps us up in a cosy protective cloak to keep us safe and healthy while we're able to reproduce, but once the eggs have run out - we're on our own! 

Between the average age of menopause at 51, and that time in our 60s when the chronic conditions of ageing are more likely to kick in, we have a decade or so in which it’s vital to focus on our health.

And how to do that? It’s on the blog - link in bio

#longevity #womenover50 #agewell #ageingwell #agingwell #longevityblog #healthblog #agewellblog #over50bloggers #womenover50 #healthspan #womenover60 #menopause #menopausehealth #postmenopause #postmenopausefitness #postmenopausal #oestrogen #hormonalhealth
If you’re lucky enough to have good metabolic he If you’re lucky enough to have good metabolic health you might want to thank your Mum today. Recent studies have found that women who move around during their reproductive years and during pregnancy and then breastfeed for a bit pass on a compound in their milk called 3SL which provides lifelong protection against poor metabolic health. The offspring of moving, breastfeeding Mums appear to have a lower lifetime risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes and other chronic metabolic disease. Even gentle strolling during pregnancy and while nursing can produce this compound. So today we thank our Mums for that - as well as everything else.  Susan’s mum in the hat. Annabel’s mum in the pony tail. 

#mothersday #mothers #move #agewell #goodhealth #longevitylifestyle #longevity #walk
There’s been lots of good news for walkers recen There’s been lots of good news for walkers recently. A study published last month found that over-60s who walked between 6000 and 9000 steps a day cut their risk of heart disease (including strokes and heart attacks) by 40-50 percent, when compared to a more typical 2000 steps a day. In fact this study found that for every additional 1000 steps walked, the risk fell still further. 

How far are you walking to age well? Let us know in the comments and there’s more on the power of walking on the blog - link in bio

#longevity #womenover50 #agewell #ageingwell #agingwell #longevityblog #healthblog #agewellblog #over50bloggers #womenover50 #healthspan #womenover60 #walking #womenwhowalk #womenwhohike #reversewalking #backwardswalking #walkingbackwards
A big hug from us to you to mark International Wom A big hug from us to you to mark International Women’s Day! 

The campaign this year reminds us to embrace equity as a way to recognise that each of us has different circumstances, and we need different resources and opportunities to reach an equal outcome. Of course, this is as vital in ageing and health outcomes as in every other field.  

So we’re embracing our age and hoping to grow older in a more equitable society ❤️

#internationalwomensday #embraceequity #embracequity2023 ##longevity #womenover50 #agewell #ageingwell #agingwell #longevityblog #healthblog #agewellblog #over50bloggers #womenover50 #healthspan #womenover60 #iwd2023 #madformidlife
We’ve learned to love walking backwards! So many We’ve learned to love walking backwards! So many benefits when it comes to ageing well. 

If you’re not sure how to start or are worried about looking silly (we were) - there are lots of tips on the blog, link in bio. 

If you’re a backwards walker, let us know in comments below! 

If you’re planning to start, save this post for when you’re ready for some reverse walking 

#longevity #womenover50 #agewell #ageingwell #agingwell #longevityblog #healthblog #agewellblog #over50bloggers #womenover50 #healthspan #womenover60 #walking #womenwhowalk #womenwhohike #reversewalking #backwardswalking #walkingbackwards
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Contact Us

For any enquiries please email theagewellproject@gmail.com.

Copyright © 2023 The Age-Well Project