“Alzheimer’s disease isn’t a natural part of aging,” notes Neal Barnard, M.D., president of the nonprofit Physicians Committee and an adjunct professor of medicine at the George Washington University School of Medicine. “By staying active and moving plant-based foods to the center of our plates, we have a fair shot at rewriting our genetic code for this heart-wrenching, and costly, disease.”
Alzheimer’s Disease
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a chronic affliction of mostly older folks, which makes it difficult to remember people, places or things you’ve known for many years. Even things you have learned recently are not well retained. In this disease, brain cells die as do nerve connections, leaving behind gaps in the neural circuit. Americans now living with AD number 5.4 million, and one in eight over the age of 65 are now afflicted with the devastating disease. There is no cure for AD.
Though the cause of AD is not yet fully understood, it has been observed to have less cells and connections than healthy brains. AD is thought to damage and kill brain cells. One theory researchers have is that plaques and tangles lead to brain shrinkage.
Plaques are clumps of beta-amyloid, a protein, which damages cells several ways, one of them destroys communication between cells. No one knows the exact mechanism of cell death, but the presence of these beta-amyloids outside of brain cells is suspect.
Another protein, Tau, is responsible for the proper functioning of the internal transportation and support system. This system supplies nutrients and other essentials to brain cells. In AD, tau proteins twist into abnormal shapes and get tangled inside of brain cells, taking down the transport system. This has been strongly linked to the death of brain cells.
Risk factors for AD include family history, though this only comes into play five percent of the time. Gender is also a component as women are more likely to get it, though it may be because women live longer. Others at risk include people with mild cognitive impairment who show cognitive decline worse than is expected for that age, and people who have suffered severe or repeated head trauma.
8 Foods that can Help Prevent Alzheimer’s Disease
Believe it or not, diet can play an integral role in preventing AD. Here are eight types of foods that may help prevent or stave off AD. These recommendations are based on the heart-healthy diet where fish, nuts olive oil, whole grains and fresh fruit and veggies are consumed in lieu of highly processed foods, simple carbohydrates and trans fat products.
Omega-3 fatty acids are considered brain-healthy foods. These fatty acids may help prevent both dementia and AD by cutting down on brain plaques. Great sources of omega-3 fatty acids are oily fish such as salmon, mackerel, sardines and tuna. Beans and flaxseed are also good sources.
The end result of our brain activity is free radicals, unstable molecules that damage healthy cells, speeding up mental decline. Antioxidant foods clean up the free radicals in your brain. Vitamin C and E are great antioxidants and a study found that those who ate food sourced vitamin E had a 67 percent lower incidence of free radicals than others who did not. Walnuts, almonds and foods such as cherries, strawberries, oranges, raspberries and plums are good to snack on every day. Berries contain chemicals which fight memory problems associated with free radicals and beta-amyloid plaques in the brain.
Drink green tea. It may enhance memory and mental alertness. White and oolong teas are also considered brain healthy. Drink two to four cups a day to get proven benefits.
Fresh fruits are always welcome to the brain party. Eat across the rainbow which means eat fruits of different colors for maximizing antioxidants and vitamins in the diet. These include tomatoes, onions, grapes, apples, persimmons, cherries, strawberries, cucumber with skin, kiwi, mangoes, plums, raspberries, and oranges. A study revealed that eating lots of fruits and veggies for a diet lowered AD incidence for seven to nine years of follow-up.
Vegetables are foods that you should also eat across the rainbow as well. Veggies are rich in vitamins C and E, both antioxidants. They are good sources of lean protein as well. Daily servings of the following vegetables are encouraged. Spinach; radish; kale; cruciferous vegetables; cabbage; broccoli; cauliflower; red cabbage; Brussel sprouts; garlic; kohlrabi; onions; peas; asparagus red, orange yellow and green peppers.
Whole grains are important for the fiber and nutrients they provide. They can be important combining sources of protein, meaning combined with nuts or legumes, they can become as complete a protein as meat products. These wheat grains are quinoa, buckwheat chia, lentils, seitan, chickpeas, hemp seeds, and soy in its various forms – tempeh, natto, and tofu.
A compound, resveratrol, found in red grapes seems to have brain-protective qualities. Studies have demonstrated that resveratrol lowers the amount of fatty deposits in the brain. Red wine, made from red grapes, has this same compound. A French study recommends three four-ounce glasses of wine a night. The study reduced the risk of AD by a huge 75 percent. Cheers!
Flavonoid-rich foods are created because long-ago plants had to defend against herbivores and solar radiation. These protectant chemicals are called polyphenols and flavonoids are the mightiest of these. Foods high in flavonoids include apples, grapefruit, cranberries, blueberries, Brussel sprouts, kohlrabi, onions, peas, asparagus, cabbage, kale, spinach, kidney and lima beans.
Juices can easily supply nutrients, vitamins and protein to one’s diet. One study had people drink orange, apple or tomato juice three times a week. The researchers found that those who had the additional juices added to their diet, had a smaller risk of developing dementia than those who didn’t partake of the juices.
Now, there are many redundant fruits and vegetables showing up on various aforementioned lists but that should make eating a brain-healthy diet a bit easier. With a little education and food planning you may be one who doesn’t develop dementia or AD as you age and avoid taking a mess of drugs to control those diseases.
“We spend trillions of dollars each year on failed drug trials,” notes author Susan Levin, M.S., R.D., C.S.S.D., Physicians Committee director of nutrition education. “Let’s take a portion of these funds and invest in educational programs to help people learn about foods that are now clinically proven to be more effective in fighting this global epidemic.”
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