Can Food Help Fend Off Alzheimer’s?

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This is big so pay attention. There is growing scientific evidence that a healthy diet and a lifestyle that includes regular activity, exercise, social interaction and mental stimulation may help you avoid developing age-related dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Some studies suggest that these positive lifestyle factors may even slow the progression of someone who is in the early stages of the disease.

Are you wondering exactly what Alzheimer’s is? It’s a type of dementia where the brain has a build up of tangles and plaques made of these proteins called beta-amyloids. Picture it in your mind like the back of your computer where all of the cords intersect and tangle in many directions. The more wires you have back there, the more confusing it is to know which goes to what. With Alzheimer’s, as the tangles and plaques increase, the brain has increasing difficulty with normal daily functions such as memory and reasoning and the situation deteriorates over time.

Here are five tips based on the latest evidence-based research from journals including Neuroscience Research and Annals of Neurology that you can implement in your diet today. These tips are based on a diet you may already have heard of…the Mediterranean diet. The really great news is that the Mediterranean diet is also tied to reduced risk for other major players in the disease world including heart disease and diabetes so it provides multiple benefits.

1. Eat fatty fish such as tuna, sardines, mackerel or salmon, at least once a week, preferably twice. Fatty fish contain omega-3 fats which, guess what, are also found in the human brain and the amount decreases as you age.

2. Eat more vegetables everyday particularly the dark leafy green veggies. Strive for a minimum of two servings of vegetables per day, preferably up to seven-nine total servings.

3. Add nuts to your diet, about a handful each day. Try walnuts, almonds and pecans in particular for their vitamin E, omega-3 (walnuts) and antioxidant content.

4. Switch to canola oil or olive oil for omega-3 and vitamin E.

5. Cut the saturated fat in your diet from all sources. Select fat free milk and lower fat cheeses and yogurt; buy lean cuts of meat and do vegetarian meals once or twice a week that focus on beans and whole grains.

Regardless of your age, focus on a Mediterranean-style diet that is chock full of nuts, veggies and whole grains, fish and healthy oils to help keep your brain sharp now and for the years to come.