Dr. Ann

Diet has a profound impact on the structure, function, and health of our brains. Here are 5 foods your brain loves and why. Salmon: Salmon, particularly wild salmon, is arguably the highest quality protein for brain health. This oily fish is the richest source of the all-important, but difficult to come by omega 3 fats, […]

If the hamster wheel of unpleasant thoughts, better known as negative rumination, is weighing you down, taking a daily dose of probiotics may lighten the load and brighten your mood. In an intriguing new clinical trial, researchers provided 20 healthy subjects a daily dose of a multispecies probiotic for four weeks and a matched group of 20 […]

Dark leafy greens score again! This time for keeping our brains younger and sharper. In a study that tracked the diets of more than 950 older adults for a period of five years, those who consumed the most leafy greens performed the best intellectually. For this study, the participants completed detailed dietary questionnaires and had their cognitive […]

In the most robust study of its kind to date, researchers found a very strong link between low vitamin D levels and a greater risk of dementia. For the study researchers measured the blood vitamin D levels in 1,658 people over the age of 65 and then followed their cognitive function over the next 5.6 […]

The brain is arguably the most sensitive organ in the body when it comes to our dietary choices. Here are my “Golden Guidelines” for eating for optimal brain health and peace of mind. Foods to Enjoy: Regular consumption of foods rich in omega 3 fats– oily fish, oysters, omega 3 eggs, walnuts, whole soy foods, […]

I am personally convinced that you can eat yourself happy or eat yourself sad, but it is great to get some data to back up my beliefs. In an evaluation that monitored the diets of over 2000 adult males in Finland for a period of 13-20 years, those adhering to a “healthy” diet had less […]

If you want to maintain optimal brainpower and avoid Alzheimer’s disease, regular exercise may prove to be the very best medicine. In a first-of-its-kind study, researchers were able to show that moderate intensity, aerobic exercise improved memory recall and enhanced brain cell efficiency in older at risk adults. For this study, researchers had two different […]

The brain is especially sensitive and demanding when it comes to nutrition, so I wasn’t surprised to see a new report linking fruits and veggies to enhanced mental well-being. For this evaluation, researchers had 781 young adults keep a daily log of the various foods they ate along with noting how they felt using nine […]

High-intensity interval training, known as HIIT, has been scoring one scientific victory after another, and I am excited to share two new study findings that I hope will excite you as much as they did me. HIIT involves brief (generally 30 seconds) yet very intense aerobic activity alternating with 3-4 minutes of very light activity […]

If you don’t want to lose your mind as you get older, you may want to pay close attention to your carbohydrate consumption. A study from Mayo Clinic researchers found that elderly subjects who consumed the most carb foods and sugars were the most likely to become cognitively-impaired. For the study, researchers followed the diets […]

In a provocative report that puts a spin on “food for thought” – scientists uncovered a significant association between over-eating and memory problems. This evaluation included more than 1,200 elderly study subjects who reported how many calories they consumed daily. Those who reported consuming the most calories (2,143 or more daily) were more than twice […]

In the largest study of its kind to date, researchers from UT South Western Medical Center and the Cooper Institute reported a clear link between low levels of vitamin D and depression. In this four-year evaluation involving almost 12,600 subjects, investigators found that higher vitamin D levels were associated with a significantly lower risk of […]