Can Diet Lower Alzheimer’s Risk?
Reported April 16, 2010
(Ivanhoe Newswire) — Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia among the elderly, affecting an estimated 5 million Americans. Unless some type of cure or prevention is found, that number may increase to 14 million by 2050, experts say.
A recent study shows modifying your diet may be one way to decrease your chances of suffering the devastating disease. People who eat a diet consisting of more salad dressing, nuts, fish, poultry, and certain fruits and vegetables, as well as fewer high-fat dairy products, red meats, organ meats and butter appear less likely to develop Alzheimer’s.
“Vitamin B-12 and folate are homocysteine-related vitamins that may have an impact on Alzheimer’s disease via their ability of reducing circulating homocysteine levels, vitamin E might prevent Alzheimer’s disease via its strong antioxidant effect and fatty acids may be related to dementia and cognitive function through atherosclerosis, thrombosis or inflammation via an effect on brain development and membrane functioning or via accumulation of beta-amyloid,” study authors wrote.
Examining the impact of individual food items and nutrients on the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and determining a causal relationship can be difficult because humans tend to eat meals with complex combinations of nutrients and foods.
Source: Archives of Neurology, June 2010