You can reduce your risk of developing dementia in a number of ways and one of these is with your diet – here are the three foods you should add to your diet and those you need to remove.

Dementia is the overall term for several diseases, the main one being Alzheimer’s, that affect memory, thinking and the ability to perform everyday tasks. It is the UK’s biggest killer. With the worrying statistic that one in three people born in the UK will develop the disease in their lifetime, it’s important to do everything we can to try and reduce the risk.

One of the ways we can do this is by making changes to our diet. After Christmas many embark on what are often unrealistic lifestyle alterations, attempting to drastically cut calories to lose weight and detox after the season of indulgence.

However dieticians don’t advise this approach because it’s too difficult to stick to the drastic changes and any weight lost will quickly pile on again. Instead it’s recommended gradual tweaks to what you eat and drink are made that are more sustainable and therefore will result in a healthier and happier you.

The Alzheimer’s Society says a healthy, balanced diet could reduce your risk of dementia and other conditions such as cancer, diabetes, stroke and heart disease. Eating a range of different foods in the right proportions means your brain is more likely to get all the nutrients it needs to stay healthy.

But there is also some evidence that a ‌Mediterranean-style diet can reduce the risk of developing problems with memory and thinking, and getting some forms of dementia. The diet involves eating foods from countries around the Mediterranean, such as Spain, Italy and Greece. It is a mainly plant based way of eating, with any animal products coming from fish or poultry and a limited amount of dairy.

For this reason if you wish to try this approach to cutting your risk of the disease, you should add more fruit, vegetables and cereals to your shopping list and avoid red meat and sugary foods.

The diet is also low in alcohol consumption with an occasional glass of red wine recommended for those who do wish to drink. Healthy fats are also a major component of this way of eating and come in the form of olive oil and unsalted nuts, seeds and oily fish.

There are other ways you can help reduce the risk of dementia such as keeping your mind functioning with brain exercises that will help to keep memory and thinking skills active for longer. Doing puzzles, reading, playing card games and arts and crafts are all things you could start doing to help keep your cerebral matter flexing.

Socialising also gives your brain a workout and this can be in person or on the phone, so book in some dates with friends and family to give yourself something to look forward to in the coming year.

Getting lots of good quality sleep, cutting down on booze, quitting cigarettes and getting plenty of exercise are also all beneficial to brain health.

Alzheimer’s Society vows to help end the devastation caused by dementia, providing help and hope for everyone affected. If you’re worried about dementia, call 0333 150 3456, or visit alzheimers.org.uk

Will you or have you tried the Med diet? Let us know in the comments below.

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