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Friday 30 June 2017

Alzheimer's and the benefits of low carb higher fat diet.

Yesterday Phil a reader and commenter here, sent us a link regarding some news regarding diet and Alzheimer's. The full article is here.

"The Mediterranean diet is associated with a variety of health benefits, including a lower incidence of dementia. Now, researchers have identified a specific ingredient that protects against cognitive decline: extra-virgin olive oil. In a new study, the researchers show that consumption of extra-virgin olive oil protects memory and learning ability and reduces the formation of amyloid-beta plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in the brain -- classic markers of Alzheimer's disease."


At this time there is no cure for Alzheimer's, once diagnosed it progresses at various speeds in different people. Jan's mother passed away around three years after diagnosis, a friend of our's dear wife, was in a care home for eighteen years before she succumbed. If we cannot cure Alzheimer's can we prevent this horrible disease. Can a healthier diet help? is there a healthy diet? that could give us a better chance to stay mentally fit for longer. It appears there is, some extracts from a very interesting paper.

Nutrition and Alzheimer's disease: The detrimental role of a high carbohydrate diet.

"Alzheimer's disease is a devastating disease whose recent increase in incidence rates has broad implications for rising health care costs. Huge amounts of research money are currently being invested in seeking the underlying cause, with corresponding progress in understanding the disease progression. In this paper, we highlight how an excess of dietary carbohydrates, particularly fructose, alongside a relative deficiency in dietary fats and cholesterol, may lead to the development of Alzheimer's disease. 

Recent population studies have confirmed a correlation between low blood serum cholesterol and both dementia and Parkinson's disease. A study published in 2007 compared three elderly population groups: subjects with dementia, subjects with depression, and controls. They found that those with dementia and depression had significantly lower serum cholesterol levels than the controls.Another study looking at Parkinson's disease among the elderly showed that those with the lowest LDL had 3.5 times the risk of Parkinson's disease compared to those with the highest serum LDL levels.

Simple dietary modification, towards fewer highly-processed carbohydrates and relatively more fats and cholesterol, is likely a protective measure against Alzheimer's disease."



As you would expect, our little team believes, a whole fresh food lifestyle, is the only way to go, to give a person a fighting chance to stay healthy. Unfortunately there are no guarantees in this life. The good news is, in the nine years we have been using and writing about, the low carb higher healthy natural fats lifestyle, we have never ever encountered or learned of any downsides whatsoever. The upsides have been many.

Eddie

8 comments:

This N That said...

It's all in the genes..lifestyle helps somewhat

Lynn said...

My mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer's three years before she passed away. They later modified to Vascular Dementia. I'm intrigued by this study and pretty much eat like that anyway. I'll read the entire article. Thank you for sharing!

VENTANA DE FOTO said...

I hope they give an effective solution to such big problems.

Kisses

River said...

They can all spruik extra virgin olive oil as much as they like, I don't like the taste and will never use it for anything. I'll stick with the lighter olive oil.

Carol Blackburn said...

I've had elevated LDL all my life. Doctor's always trying to give me Statins......NO WAY! I let my body do what it wants and I eat healthy. What will be will be. Maybe I'll miss the Alzheimer's train. That would be wonderful!

Sami said...

Thanks for the article. I've also read somewhere that eating 4 spoons of coconut oil is also good to keep Alzheimer's away.

David M. Gascoigne, said...

Alzheimer's is a brutal disease. One of my brothers-in-law is displaying early signs and it is really painful to watch.

Sue (this n that) said...

An interesting post, thanks very much.