(08-07-10) A healthy diet cuts Alzheimer's risk by 40 percent

by Ethan A. Huff, staff writer

A recent study conducted by researchers at Columbia University in New York
has found that people who eat a diet rich in olive oil, fish, nuts, poultry,
and fruits and vegetables, lower their risk of developing Alzheimer's disease
by 40 percent.

Dr. Yian Gu, one of the researchers involved in the study, commented on what
most in the natural health community already know. "Diet is probably the
easiest way to modify disease risk," she explained concerning the research.

In comparison to other Alzheimer's studies that focus on isolated nutrients,
this study focused on food groups that are commonly associated with lowering
Alzheimer's disease risk. These include brain-boosting foods that are rich in
omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, B vitamins, folate and vitamin E.

"People who adhered mostly to this dietary pattern compared to others have
about a 40 percent reduction in the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease,"
explained Gu in a Reuters interview.

The team evaluated more than 2,100 people over the age of 65 for about four
years. Every 18 months, they checked patients for Alzheimer's disease, and they
discovered that those who ate best were least likely to have developed the
illness.

People in the healthier category ate less red meat and dairy products, and
more fruits, nuts, fish, cruciferous vegetables, and dark, leafy greens.

The researchers determined that a heart-healthy diet protects the brain from
strokes, which in turn protect people from developing Alzheimer's disease. The
isolated nutrients also work to promote brain health and protect it from
degenerative disease.

The researchers did insist the diet only works preventatively and that there
is no cure for Alzheimer's, however other research seems to indicate that high
doses of certain nutrients and foods may actually reverse the serious form of
dementia that afflicts more than 26 million people around the world.

Some of the things that are commonly attributed to causing Alzheimer's include
aluminum in anti-perspirant deodorants, artificial nitrates and nitrites added
to meat, food additives and preservatives like MSG, and foods in general that
are high in bad fats and processed sugars.

Eating a Mediterranean diet like the one evaluated in the study is a good
start, but there are additional ways to help ensure that you never get
Alzheimer's disease. Some examples include juicing fresh, organic fruits and
vegetables everyday and supplementing your diet with a wide variety of
antioxidant-rich superfoods.

Sources for this story include:

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUS...


Fonte: NaturalNews

News

---

In evidenza

"L'informazione presente nel sito serve a migliorare, e non a sostituire, il rapporto medico-paziente."

Per coloro che hanno problemi di salute si consiglia di consultare sempre il proprio medico curante.