The most efficient way to target all the risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease — including high cholesterol, blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity — is to adopt a plant-based, whole food diet.

This is the same heart-healthy plan that I’ve outlined before. Research shows it also protects the brain.

Vitamin E, an antioxidant, combats oxidation, which is a natural byproduct of metabolism that can damage brain cells.

The vitamin folic acid helps lower the level of a chemical in the blood called homocysteine, which has been linked to both heart disease and Alzheimer’s.

To get these vitamins, eat foods such as:

• Olive oil

• Whole grains

• Cantaloupe

• Seeds and nuts

• Broccoli

• Kale

• Cauliflower

• Collard greens

• Carrots

• Corn

• Okra

• Spinach

And eat fish! You might remember your mother telling you that fish is “brain food.” Well, as it turns out, she was right — study after study has shown it.

One long-running study at Rush University Medical Center found that people who ate fish at least once a week were 60 percent less likely to develop Alzheimer’s.

Which fish are best for you? Coldwater, fatty fish such as salmon, sardines, and tuna because they contain omega-3 fatty acids that protect the brain.

You can also find omega-3s in soybean oil, walnuts, flaxseed, and some fruits — including oranges, grapefruit, papaya, grapes, bananas, cantaloupes, and strawberries.