A recently-released 10-year study shows a link between a specific diet and a significantly lowered risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. One of its more startling conclusions, and a piece of good news, is that the risk is lowered even if the diet is not followed rigorously.
Over 900 people aged 58 to 98 completed questionnaires from 2004-2013 as part of a memory and aging project conducted by Rush University in Chicago. The results showed a 53-percent lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s for those who adhered to the diet rigorously, and a still-significant 35-lower risk for those who followed it moderately well.
The diet is a hybrid of two established diets – the Mediterranean, and the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension). Both of those diets have been found to reduce the risks of cardiovascular conditions, including hypertension, heart attack and stroke. The anti-Alzheimer menu has been dubbed the MIND diet – short for Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay.
Dr. S. James Shafer, a Vero Beach neurologist, agrees that diet is very important to cognitive health, and that the MIND diet is “clean, natural, and contains antioxidants” – all good things.
For many people, this diet may be easier to follow than either of its predecessors, which enhances both its appeal and its advantages. “It has lots of variety, which may make it more palatable,” Dr. Shafer says.
The MIND diet takes a simple approach. It has 15 dietary components –10 that are “brain-healthy” and 5 that are not. The brain-healthy food groups, along with some consumption guidelines, are:
• Green leafy vegetables. Kale, collards, spinach, Swiss chard, broccoli, turnip greens—one serving per day (can be in the form of a salad).
• Other types of vegetables. A serving each day.
• Nuts. A one-ounce serving each day. Walnuts in particular may protect against Alzheimer’s.
• Berries at least twice a week. Blueberries are “one of the most potent foods in terms of protecting the brain,” says epidemiologist Martha Clare Morris, who led the study. Strawberries are also good.
• Beans or legumes every other day.
• Whole grains. Three servings per day; can be found in foods such as bulgur (cracked wheat), whole grain corn, oatmeal, whole wheat bread (check to make sure the first listed ingredient is whole wheat flour), brown rice, buckwheat, quinoa, popcorn, and whole wheat pasta.
• Fish, consumed at least once a week.
• Poultry twice a week.
• Olive oil used as the primary oil in the home.
• Wine. A daily 5 ounce glass of red wine is specified. If you don’t drink red wine, substitute purple grape juice.
Limited intake of what the study deems “unhealthy foods” is just as important. Red meat, butter or margarine, pastries and sweets, and fried or fast foods are on the “almost never” list; cheese should be limited to one serving per week.
Dr. Shafer cautions that this was not a “controlled” study. It was based on a retrospective review of self-reported dietary habits; other factors – for example, the health history and exercise level of the participants – were not considered. However, the MIND diet is consistent with the dietary advice he provides to his patients, along with his general lifestyle guidance: regular exercise, limited alcohol, no smoking.
“A diet containing the components outlined in the MIND diet can reduce the risk of inflammation and oxidative stress; a lowered risk can slow the progression of Alzheimer’s,” Dr. Shafer says. (Oxidative stress, simply put, is an imbalance between the production of free radicals and the ability of the body to neutralize their harmful effects through antioxidants.) “Any champion athlete will tell you that 50 percent of their success is due to their diet – the fuel they put in their bodies.”
Dr. Anton Porsteinsson, Director of the Alzheimer’s Care, Research and Education Program at the University of Rochester School of Medicine, was quoted by WebMD as saying, “The protective impact [the researchers] found is significant and substantial enough to make you do a little bit of a double-take. With a diet like this it seems that it’s never too late to start.”
There are two primary types of Alzheimer’s disease. Early-onset occurs before the age of 65; it is fairly rare, accounting for less than 10 percent of all cases, and is thought to be tied to a genetic defect.
leptoconnect reviews More than 90 percent of cases are late-onset (after age 65). Late-onset Alzheimer’s affects approximately 5 percent of Americans between the ages of 65 and 74, with an astounding 50 percent of those 85 and older thought to have the disease. The MIND diet is aimed at lowering the risk of late-onset Alzheimer’s, in which genetics is only a small piece of the picture.
Dr. Shafer wants people to pay attention to any cognitive changes they may be experiencing, no matter to what degree. “If your family, social or professional life is being affected in any way, seek an evaluation. This includes sleep disorders, as they can have a significant impact on cognitive health.”
There is a support group in Vero Beach which Dr. Shafer highly recommends – the Alzheimers/Parkinson Association of Indian River County (www.alzpark.org); it is located at 2300 5th Ave., #150; the phone number is 772-563-0505. The group’s mission statement is “Serving community residents with disorders affecting memory and movement by promoting quality of life and choice through advocacy, support, empowerment, education and research connections.”
Dr. Shafer’s practice is part of Vero Orthopaedics and Vero Neurology, 1155 35th Lane, #100; 772-569-7039.