Staying Sharp-Lifestyle & Food

The battle against age-related-dementia and Alzheimer’s is on. Since much of the research is in its infancy, we can only offer advice that - even if it doesn’t help your mind—should lower your risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, cancer or other illness. Thanks to NUTRITION ACTION Health Letter, we have progress reports on the latest research addressing this devastating disease.
More research supports the idea of eating two or three servings of fatty fish each week. This month (middle of May to middle of June) is especially best for access to one of the highest polyunsaturated omega-3 fish: Sockeye Salmon. It is pricey, but well worth it when you consider the advantages to your health. Know your supplier because the temptation to sell colored fish that is from the Atlantic Ocean and is farm raised can result in tremendous profits. Sockeye Salmon from the Northwest is solid red in color, whereas the Atlantic Salmon is dyed with a red color that doesn’t penetrate the white fat lines of the grey salmon. The white lines are a dead give-away and supermarkets will lower the price from that charged by reputable sources. We found a range from $12.99/lb. to $21.99/lb. Our supplier is Hayes Fish Company and we enjoyed our wild-caught Sockeye Salmon on June 1st, 2007. The salmon is fresh - never sold frozen, but can be frozen if you want to have a supply for later consumption.
The omega-3 fats in fish oil—DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid)—seems to protect the heart. And there’s growing evidence that they may also protect the brain. "EPA is anti-inflammatory, and inflammation is part of the Alzheimer’s disease syndrome," says William Connor, a heart disease expert at the Oregon Health & Science University in Portland. But the evidence for DHA is even more compelling.
It’s the most prominent fat in the brain, especially in the nerve cells in the cerebral cortex. "People with Alzheimer’s have less DHA in their cerebral phosphor-lipid cell membranes than normal people," explains Connor. "When researchers feed DHA to adult monkeys who have been on DHA-deficient diets, the DHA gets into their brain phospholipids." "The DHA crosses the blood-brain barrier and enters the brain. We think there’s wear and tear on polyunsaturated fats in the brain all the time, and that they’re constantly getting replaced," says Connor. So far, only a handful of studies have tried to see if fish or omega-3 fats are linked to cognitive decline, but they’re promising.
In the Framingham Heart Study, which tracked nearly 900 healthy older men and women living in the Boston suburb for roughly nine years, people with the highest levels of DHA—they ate about three servings of fish per week—had about half the risk of dementia compared to those with lower levels.
In the Zuphen Elderly Study in the Netherlands, which followed 210 older men for an average of five years, those who ate no fish had more cognitive decline than fish eaters.
In the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARC) Study of more that 2200 older residents in Minneapolis suburbs, scores on a verbal fluency test ("write as many words as you can in one minute that start with F,A, or S") were less likely to decline in those who had higher blood levels of omega-3 fats. Omega-3s only appeared to protect people who had high blood pressure or a combination of low HDL ("good") cholesterol and high triglycerides.
In the Chicago Health and Aging Project, cognitive decline was 10 percent slower among people who ate fish at least once a week than among those who ate fish less often.
The preponderance of studies shows an association between fish consumption or DHA and cognitive decline, but it’s only as association, so it may be time for a more definitive clinical trial.
Fresh fish is the best way to absorb the omega-3. Supplements vary in quality and contaminants and are not as beneficial because many don’t even dissolve in the digestive tract and some contain chemicals and bonding agents which are not helpful.
In April, 2007, the ARC study reported significantly more cognitive decline in people with higher blood levels of palmitic acid, which is found in saturated fats. "The only gene that’s been linked to late-life Alzheimer’s is apoE E4,which encodes a cholesterol-transport gene," notes Martha Clare Morris from the Chicago Health and Aging Project study which tracked 815 healthy people for nearly four years, and then searched for clues about the 131 who were diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.
When Harvard researchers gave tests measuring verbal memory, working memory, and other cognitive skills by phone to 13,000 nurses twice, between 1995 and 2001, those who reported eating the most vegetables had a slower cognitive decline than those who ate the least. "But the relationship was strongest with green, leafy vegetables, says Francine Grodstein of the Harvard School of Public Health, who adds that the researchers found nothing with fruits.
"The literature is fairly consistent that vitamin supplements don’t have cognitive benefits," Grodstein concludes. Martha Clare Morris hasn’t given up on vitamin E from foods. "We found a lower risk of cognitive decline in people who consumed more vitamin E from food," she says. The best sources: vegetable oils, nuts, seeds, green leafy vegetables, and whole grains. Why might vitamin E foods help when vitamin E supplements can’t? Among the possibilities: the trials gave people huge doses (2,000 IU was typical) of the alpha-tocopherol form of vitamin E, while foods contain lower doses (closer to 20 IU) of alpha-tocopherol. And foods also contain the gamma-tocopherol form.
"In our study, the association with gamma-tocopherols was strongest," Morris points out. "And a couple of studies show that high doses of alpha-tocopherol decrease the absorption of gamma-tocopherol, which is a powerful anti-inflammatory."
The bottom line whether or not vitamin E helps protect the brain-- it can’t hurt to eat healthy foods like leafy greens, vegetable oils, nuts and whole grains.
Seven warning signs of Alzheimer’s Disease: 1. Asking the same question over and over again. 2. Repeating the same story, word for word, again and again. 3. Forgetting how to cook, how to make repairs, how to play cards, or other activities that were previously done with ease. 4. Losing the ability to pay bills or balance a checkbook. 5. Getting lost in familiar surroundings or misplacing household objects. 6. Neglecting to bathe, or wearing the same clothes over and over again, while insisting that they have taken a bath or that their clothes are still clean. 7. Relying on a spouse or others to make decisions or answer questions they previously would have handled themselves.
Source: www.nia.nih.gov/Alzheimers/Publications/sevensigns.htm.
Diabetes may take a toll by harming small blood vessels in the brain. "It’s possible that diabetes causes vascular damage that leads to small strokes. "Diabetes has an adverse effect on memory," says Grodstein. She adds, "having diabetes is like being 10 - 15 years older."
"We know how to prevent diabetes," says Grodstein. "If you keep your weight down, stay physically active, and eat a healthy diet, that’s a good place to start."
How might exercise help preserve the brain? For starters, it boosts the odds of having healthy arteries, lower blood pressure, and less insulin resistance. Clearly, high blood pressure raises the risk of mini-strokes, which can cause cognitive decline.
When researchers in Finland tracked roughly 1,450 middle-aged men and women for 21 years, those with highest blood pressures had twice the risk of Alzheimer’s disease or other dementia.
Robert Wilson, senior neuropsychologist at the Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center in Chicago says, "Your life experiences have a big impact on your brain’s structure, function and organization." "If its wiring is more elaborate and flexible, it’s less vulnerable to the age-related pathological changes that assault the brain."
"Evidence suggests that depression is either a risk factor or a precursor for dementia," says the University of California’s Kristine Yaffe. "It shows up over and over."
TIP ON SALAD DRESSING: For a week’s worth of almost-salt-free salad dressing, combine 2/3 cup of olive oil with 1/3 cup of balsamic vinegar in a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Add 2 crushed garlic cloves, 1 tsp. Dijon mustard, 1 tsp. Honey and a spritz of fresh lemon. Shake well--save money, and enjoy more leafy lettuce without the high sodium, mayonnaise and fat.

Stroke and Chicken Wings

How sick is it that the very foods we eat to celebrate life can cause an early death? Is it only a coincidence that the city that celebrates with foods like “Buffalo Chicken Wings” has a high incidence of cardiac problems? News channels think it is funny to show people stuffing Buffalo wings down their throats to win a prize for the most chicken wings downed in a given time span. This same city has hospitals with people lined up waiting for by-pass surgery and stroke victims hoping to hang on a little longer. “Celebratory eating” as I refer to it, is the cause for countless victims of heart disease - related to clogged arteries - brought on by eating the wrong foods and mixing it with a joyous occasion.
New York state seems bent on eliminating redundancy in its health service industry - namely hospitals. Without regard to the distance between patients and emergency critical care, they arbitrarily decide to shut down hospitals and dictate the conditions. No matter that one hospital is government subsidized and the other is privately owned. No matter that the lives of hundreds of thousands of people will be affected and health care workers will be strewn across the state. What does this have to do with chicken wings? We don’t care about the cause, so look at the statistics:
In May 2007, the Stroke Care Center released the stats on Millard Fillmore Gates Circle Hospital. The stated goal of this report is to raise public awareness about stroke risk factors as a part of National Stroke Awareness Month. The statistics are frightening, especially when you realize that the time between having a stroke and getting professional care is critical to survival. The Stroke census: 2005 - 35 discharges per month and in 2006 - 80 discharges per month. The TIA census shows 2005 - 12 discharges per month and 2006 - 20 discharges per month. It is interesting to take note of the age categories of the patients: 2005: 18 - 45, 27 discharges per month and in 2006: ages 15 - 45 indicates 50 discharges per month. In 2005 in the age group 46 - 65 there were 121 discharges per month and in 2006 the same age group showed 219 discharges per month. In the age group 66 - 85 we had 288 discharges per month in 2005 and 512 discharges per month in 2006. In 2005 those patients over 86 showed 72 discharges per month and in 2006 there were 142 discharges of patients over 86 years old. One thing stands out -- we are increasing almost 100% in one year the number of discharges due to stroke.
No-where in the report was there any reference to the causal relationship between stroke and the foods we continue to consider recreational eating. Young people can’t help but consider chicken wings, pizza, hot dogs and sausage as “fun foods.” Role models for healthy lifestyles are rarely recognized nor are they featured in the news reports.
I suggest we place a restaurant offering healthy foods overlooking tennis courts filled with senior citizens between the ages of 60 and 90. The people eating would never think of playing tennis, especially in this age group. Of course, if they were to consider the energetic play and the healthy bodies of these seniors, it might enter their mind that living longer doesn’t have to be dull. How valuable would it be if we knew what these people did to live so long and so well? What kind of wisdom would we find if reporters were to interview these seniors to find out more about the healthy body, mind and spirit? Well, that is just what we are going to do and have been doing for over two decades, and now we look to launch just such a program.
The “baby boomers” are losing the race for longevity because they forgot to check the fuel gage and the quality of the foods they consumed. We want to start the youngest at 4 years of age and make a concentrated effort to keep the oldest members of our society out of a “wheelchair city.” Since we are doing so poorly at cures, we might look at prevention.
Lifestyle changes include the foods we eat, the games we play, the work we do, the community we live in, the spiritual side of our existence and the friends we keep. It includes the fun we have, the jokes we tell and the laughter and handshakes we experience. It will revolutionize health care in America. Getting older doesn’t have to mean boredom, depression, nursing homes and frustrated children trying to make you happy. The secret is that only you can change that, but we are going to do better at giving you the information you need to live a happier, healthier, longer life while keeping you sharp mentally and physically.
One thought, one mind, one vision and one leader can change all of this, but not without you. So make the effort to do just one push-up - the one you do when you push yourself up and out of your rocker-recliner and take that first step towards a better life.