Alzheimer's Disease and Brain Food
Brain Food's effect on Alzheimer’s Disease
Can some foods improve mental acuity, while others dull the mind? Absolutely. Scientific studies prove that "smart" foods can reverse memory loss and improve brain functioning, while others damage brain cells and lead to cognitive decline.
Eat apples, berries, cherries, grapes, prunes, and spinach, foods high in antioxidants that fight damaging free radicals and improve mental function. But sugar and simple carbohydrates (white flour, white potatoes, white rice and other refined starches) can disrupt the blood’s glucose levels, leading to permanent brain cell damage. Instead, consume complex carbohydrates including peanuts, dried beans, yogurt and oat bran.
Omega-3 acids, available in herring, mackerel, salmon, and sardines, deserve their reputation as brain foods. In fact, weekly consumption of fish may help prevent Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Lignans, found in flaxseed (a vegetarian source of omega fats), have been shown to improve thinking skills in postmenopausal women. Avoid hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils. They contain trans fat that has been linked to the development of AD.
Recent research indicates that deficiencies of folic acid also promote AD. This essential B vitamin is found in leafy green vegetables, citrus fruits, and dried beans. At Tufts University, researchers discovered that older Americans with high blood levels of folic acid have little or no memory loss. "It looks like there’s a threshold effect (needed) to get a benefit," says University of California at Irvine epidemiologist Maria Corrada, PhD, whose nine-year study of nearly 600 Americans age 60 and over, found 400 micrograms of folic acid effective.
Vitamin E, especially when derived from whole foods, reduces cognitive decline in old age. In adults, iron-deficiency anemia causes a loss of concentration and focus, especially among dieters, and in men, low-zinc diets have been shown to interfere with short-term memory. In a recent U.S. Department of Agriculture study, young men who ate a high-selenium diet (grains, garlic, meat, oysters, swordfish, tuna, and Brazil nuts) for three months, felt more clear-headed, confident, energetic, and optimistic.
Smart Supplements:
Other research shows that taking a daily multivitamin/mineral supplement for a year helped improve short-term memory, concentration, abstract thinking and problem solving among older people. In a Swiss study of people in their 60s, those with the highest blood levels of vitamin C and beta carotene, scored higher in memory tests than those with low levels.
Andrew Weil, M.D., describes phosphatidylserine, or PS as his first choice for age-related memory problems. He recommends starting with 100 mg two or three times per day for a month or more and then continuing with a maintenance dose of 100 to 200 mg daily.
Another brain-friendly supplement is choline, the main building block used by the body to create acetylcholine, which is an important neurotransmitter precursor. Turmeric, the colorful spice used in Indian curries, helps remove deposits of plaque from the brain. The herb ginkgo slows mental decline by destroying free radicals that damage brain cells. And green foods, supplements and drinks (containing cereal grasses, herbs, sea vegetables, and other nutrients) give both mind and body a boost.
Can some foods improve mental acuity, while others dull the mind? Absolutely. Scientific studies prove that "smart" foods can reverse memory loss and improve brain functioning, while others damage brain cells and lead to cognitive decline.
Eat apples, berries, cherries, grapes, prunes, and spinach, foods high in antioxidants that fight damaging free radicals and improve mental function. But sugar and simple carbohydrates (white flour, white potatoes, white rice and other refined starches) can disrupt the blood’s glucose levels, leading to permanent brain cell damage. Instead, consume complex carbohydrates including peanuts, dried beans, yogurt and oat bran.
Omega-3 acids, available in herring, mackerel, salmon, and sardines, deserve their reputation as brain foods. In fact, weekly consumption of fish may help prevent Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Lignans, found in flaxseed (a vegetarian source of omega fats), have been shown to improve thinking skills in postmenopausal women. Avoid hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils. They contain trans fat that has been linked to the development of AD.
Recent research indicates that deficiencies of folic acid also promote AD. This essential B vitamin is found in leafy green vegetables, citrus fruits, and dried beans. At Tufts University, researchers discovered that older Americans with high blood levels of folic acid have little or no memory loss. "It looks like there’s a threshold effect (needed) to get a benefit," says University of California at Irvine epidemiologist Maria Corrada, PhD, whose nine-year study of nearly 600 Americans age 60 and over, found 400 micrograms of folic acid effective.
Vitamin E, especially when derived from whole foods, reduces cognitive decline in old age. In adults, iron-deficiency anemia causes a loss of concentration and focus, especially among dieters, and in men, low-zinc diets have been shown to interfere with short-term memory. In a recent U.S. Department of Agriculture study, young men who ate a high-selenium diet (grains, garlic, meat, oysters, swordfish, tuna, and Brazil nuts) for three months, felt more clear-headed, confident, energetic, and optimistic.
Smart Supplements:
Other research shows that taking a daily multivitamin/mineral supplement for a year helped improve short-term memory, concentration, abstract thinking and problem solving among older people. In a Swiss study of people in their 60s, those with the highest blood levels of vitamin C and beta carotene, scored higher in memory tests than those with low levels.
Andrew Weil, M.D., describes phosphatidylserine, or PS as his first choice for age-related memory problems. He recommends starting with 100 mg two or three times per day for a month or more and then continuing with a maintenance dose of 100 to 200 mg daily.
Another brain-friendly supplement is choline, the main building block used by the body to create acetylcholine, which is an important neurotransmitter precursor. Turmeric, the colorful spice used in Indian curries, helps remove deposits of plaque from the brain. The herb ginkgo slows mental decline by destroying free radicals that damage brain cells. And green foods, supplements and drinks (containing cereal grasses, herbs, sea vegetables, and other nutrients) give both mind and body a boost.
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