Cut AD Risk with Nuts, Veggies, and Fish

Contributed by: Dennis Fortier, President, Medical Care Corporation
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You may have seen this story elsewhere in the news but it bears repeating here as we view diet to be one of the most well studied and most effective approaches to maintaining good cognitive health. Our food intake is one of the factors that is most easily within our control and appears to have an important impact on risk for Alzheimer's disease.

According to a study at Columbia University and presented at the annual meeting of the American Neurological Association, a diet rich in cruciferous and green leafy vegetables, nuts, fish, and tomatoes and low in red meat and high-fat dairy products may be protective against Alzheimer's disease.

In the study, 1,691 subjects aged 65 and older with no signs of cognitive impairment were surveyed about their dietary habits. Based on the amounts of protective nutrients (omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin E) and risk-increasing nutrients (saturated fatty acids) in each food, the researchers divided the subjects into groups. The groups were subsequently followed for 4 years to assess the rates at which each group showed cognitive decline.

The results showed that the 1/3 of subjects who most closely adhered to the "protective" diet was 38% less likely to be diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in this time frame than the 1/3 of subjects who most deviated from that diet. These results held true even when age, physical activity, smoking, body mass index, and overall caloric intake were all controlled.

A 38% reduction in risk simply by eating well -- that's too good to pass up. We can't say it enough - eat your fruits and vegetables and cut back on some of the saturated fats.