Feed your mind: Can you reduce your risk of Alzheimer's?
Next, we heard about food and the brain. While it might seem that way, Alzheimer's disease - the most common form of dementia - is not an inevitable consequence of aging, Dr Lisa Mosconi from the school of medicine at New York University, told delegates.
Indeed, while around 1% of cases of Alzheimer's are clearly genetically determined; and around 30% of us have a higher risk of developing it owing to our genotype (eg. people with a particular variant - ApoE4 - of a gene associated with lipid metabolism are believed to have a heightened risk); the vast majority of cases (69%) are entirely preventable, and arise from poor diet and lifestyle, she claimed.
"Genes load the gun but lifestyle pulls the trigger."
And while not smoking, drinking too much and exercising regularly are key, eating a healthy diet is also critical in modifying your risk, she said, noting that people with a poor diet have smaller (more shrunken) brains than counterparts on a healthier Mediterranean diet rich in healthy fats from nuts and olive oil, legumes, fruits and vegetables.