Volume 36, No. 2
Diet Cuts Alzheimer's Risk 40%
A diet rich in fish, fruit and nuts may sharply reduce the chance of developing Alzheimer's, a new study suggested on Tuesday.
The study, published in the online edition of the journal Archives of Neurology, found that people who ate nutrients specifically selected for brain health had a 40 percent lower risk of developing the Alzheimer's disease compared with others.
"Diet is probably the easiest way to modify disease risk,"
In the study, researchers at the Columbia University Medical Center in New York observed 2,148 adults aged over 65 who did not have Alzheimer's. Participants provided information about their diets and were assessed for the development of dementia for an average of four years.
During the study, 253 of these test subjects developed the disease.
The study found the foods associated with reduced Alzheimer's risk consist of more olive oil-based salad dressing, nuts, fish, tomatoes, poultry, fruits, and dark, leafy green vegetables, and less red meat, organ meat or high-fat dairy products.
Alzheimer's is a mind-robbing form of dementia. More than 26 million people in the world are now suffering from this disease.
Current treatments can only help relieve some symptoms of Alzheimer's, but cannot reverse its course.
Because there are no cures, prevention is key, especially as the population ages, said Yian Gu, an Alzheimer's disease researcher behind the study.
"Diet is probably the easiest way to modify disease risk," she added.
For informational purposes only - not intended as medical advice, diagnosis or treatment, nor an endorsement by the American Nutrition Association®. Use permitted for non-profit and non-commercial uses or by healthcare professionals in their practice, with attribution to www.AmericanNutritionAssociation.org. Other use only with written ANA℠ permission. Views expressed are those of the author and not necessarily those of the ANA℠. Works by a listed author subject to copyrights as marked. © 2010 ANA℠