Improving Brain Health: Experts say the right nutrition can cut dementia risk Picking certain foods and supplements can help you stay sharper, longer. Updated: 6:27 AM EST Feb 10, 2026Editorial Standards ⓘ Jenny Barron What you eat now can make a huge difference when it comes to brain health. “People may know that dementia develops, not just in a few years, it develops in decades,” said Dr. Daniel Wang, an assistant professor at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School. “So, even before a lot of symptoms happen, there are a lot of modifiable lifestyle changes we can make and the most important one is nutrition.”Wang said it’s important to limit processed meat, ultra-processed food and refined carbohydrates — all of those have been linked to dementia risk. But there are also three types of foods that can help: Berries, especially blueberries and strawberries, have been shown to boost cognitive function. Fish has been linked to dementia protection. Nuts and legumes, especially tree nuts like walnuts, which research shows can cut dementia risk. Wang said supplements can also help. But they’re not all created equal. He suggested fish oil, carotenoid supplements and a good multivitamin as the best for brain health. He said all the research showing nutrition’s impact should give people hope.”People think this is a disease with a strong genetic background, you are kind of doomed to have that disease,” Wang said. “But now we have this dietary approach, which can help them still fend off all this risk even later in life. So, that’s very promising.”What you eat now can make a huge difference when it comes to brain health. “People may know that dementia develops, not just in a few years, it develops in decades,” said Dr. Daniel Wang, an assistant professor at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School. “So, even before a lot of symptoms happen, there are a lot of modifiable lifestyle changes we can make and the most important one is nutrition.”Wang said it’s important to limit processed meat, ultra-processed food and refined carbohydrates — all of those have been linked to dementia risk. But there are also three types of foods that can help: Berries, especially blueberries and strawberries, have been shown to boost cognitive function. Fish has been linked to dementia protection. Nuts and legumes, especially tree nuts like walnuts, which research shows can cut dementia risk. Wang said supplements can also help. But they’re not all created equal. He suggested fish oil, carotenoid supplements and a good multivitamin as the best for brain health. He said all the research showing nutrition’s impact should give people hope.”People think this is a disease with a strong genetic background, you are kind of doomed to have that disease,” Wang said. “But now we have this dietary approach, which can help them still fend off all this risk even later in life. So, that’s very promising. Read More