Bay Naturopath - Nutrition and dementia

Help to Reduce the Risk of Alzheimer’s Disease

Many people worry about getting Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s disease is a form of senile dementia that occurs late in life. But it is not an inevitable part of aging. The brain can keep functioning very well even in people of 100 years or more! Alzheimer’s is a distressing disease for the sufferer and perhaps much more so for family and friends. There is however nutritional research that shows how you can decrease your likelihood of getting dementia; and to slow the progress of Alzheimer’s.

If you have more than one alcoholic drink a day you are likely to be increasing your risk of developing dementia in later life[1, 2]. Some people have a genetic weakness that puts them at risk if they drink any alcohol.

But don’t switch to coffee as this can also cause problems when drunk frequently. Both coffee and alcohol increase homocysteine levels in the blood[3]. High homocysteine levels and low levels of the B vitamins[4] have been shown to affect the ability of the brain to function well in older people, if you have high levels of homocysteine you run a high risk of developing dementia[5]. All of the B vitamins are helpful to decrease high homocysteine levels and generally help prevent dementia[3]; especially Folic acid (yes this is a B vitamin), Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12[3, 4]. You will find these in wholegrains, vegetables and nuts.

Teas both green and black, help prevent dementia[6, 7], but don’t have your tea with meals as it can stop your body absorbing important nutrients such as iron.

The type of fats you eat can also affect your chances of developing Alzheimer’s. Research shows that polyunsaturated fatty acids are especially important [8-10]. Avoid all processed and overheated fats; instead go for cold pressed oils such as extra virgin olive oil, and plenty of fish[11, 9] and other seafood[11, 12]. This will help provide the helpful fats, seafood and fish are high in omega 3 fatty acids which have been shown to help protect the brain from dementias[12, 10].

The way you prepare the fish is also important; baked, boiled or grilled is fine. Definitely avoid deep frying with batter.

The antioxidant vitamin E has been shown to help the brain keep working well in older people[13, 12, 14, 15]. The good quality fats are important to help absorption of vitamin E. You can find vitamin E in nuts, seeds, oils and meats (best organic). Both Garlic[16] and Coenzyme Q10 have also been shown to reduce risk not only of dementia[17-19] but also of cardiovascular disease[20].

Sleep, rest and relaxation are important to keep the mind working well. Often fatigue and worry can cause forgetfulness[21, 22]. If you are feeling it is hard to concentrate or are becoming absentminded it does not mean you are getting senile dementia. But when a person has dementia lack of rest will make symptoms worse. Herbal medicine as well as vitamin C and B vitamins[12] can help reduce stress and strengthen the nervous system. I use the Entire Katoa Food State supplements for the best absorption.

If you smoke you will be more likely to get dementia so one more reason to make the decision to stop now[23, 24]. Exercise has been shown to reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s by as much as 40%[25, 26]. So be active walk every day breathe in fresh air for a long, happy and interesting life[23].