Research Shows Diet Prevents Dementia
By Dr. Randi Fredricks, Ph.D.
Research has suggested that dietary patterns practiced during adulthood are important contributors to ARCD and dementia risk.
Diets high in fat, especially trans and saturated fats, negatively affect cognition, while diets high in fruits, vegetables, and
fish are associated with better cognitive function and lower risk of dementia.
Healthy diets, antioxidant supplements, and the prevention of nutritional deficiencies or exposure to foods and water with high content
of metals appear to be first line of defense against the development and progression of cognitive decline. While the precise mechanisms
underlying these influences are complex, modulation of brain insulin activity and neuroinflammation are considered likely problems.
Inflammation and oxidative stress play important roles in brain aging. Inflammatory markers, as well as cellular and molecular oxidative
damage, increase during normal brain aging. This increase is accompanied by the related decline in cognitive and motor performance in the
elderly population, even in the absence of neurodegenerative diseases. One emerging theory regarding the development of dementia, Alzheimer’s,
and Parkinson’s disease is that neuroinflammation hastens the onset.
A diet that includes plenty of fish, omega-3 rich oils, fruits and vegetables may reduce the risk of dementia
and Alzheimer's disease, while high intake of omega-6 rich oils may boost the risk of developing memory problems,
French researchers found.
They looked at the diets of 8,085 people older than 65 who did not have dementia at the start of the study. Over
the following four years, 183 of the participants developed Alzheimer's disease, and 98 developed another form
of dementia.
People who regularly consumed omega-3 rich oils, such as canola, flaxseed, and walnut oil, were 60 percent less
likely to develop dementia than those who did not regularly consume such oils. The study also found that regular
consumption of fruits and vegetables lowered dementia risk by 30 percent.
People who ate fish at least once a week were 40 percent less likely to develop dementia and 35 percent less
likely to develop Alzheimer's, but only if they didn't carry a gene (ApoE4) known to increase the risk of Alzheimer's.
Given that most people do not carry the ApoE4 gene, these results could have considerable implications in terms
of public health. However, more research is needed to identify the optimal quantity and
combination of nutrients which could be predictive before implementing nutritional recommendations.
The researchers also found that people without the ApoE4 gene who regularly consumed omega-6 rich oils - such
as sunflower or grape seed oil - but not omega-3 rish oils or fish were twice as likely to develop dementia as
people who didn't eat omega-6 rich oils.
References (To view, roll mouse over the "References" heading; to hide, click on the heading)
Barberger-Gateau, P., Raffaitin, C., Letenneur, L., Berr, C., Tzourio, C., Dartigues, J. F., & Alpérovitch, A. (2007). Dietary patterns and risk of dementia: The Three-City cohort study. Neurology, 69(20), 1921-1930.
Fredricks, R. (2008). Healing & wholeness: Complementary and alternative therapies for mental health. Bloomington, IN: Author House.
Lau, F. C., Shukitt-Hale, B., & Joseph, J. A. (2007). Nutritional intervention in brain aging: reducing the effects of inflammation and oxidative stress. Subcell Biochem, 42, 299-318.
Parrott, M. D, & Greenwood, C. E. (2007). Dietary influences on cognitive function with aging: from high-fat diets to healthful eating. Ann N Y Acad Sci, 1114, 389-397.
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