Best Diet to Avert Alzheimer’s Disease
Though there are many new diets coming up to prevent diabetes, hypertension, obesity etc. there is no specific diet against Alzheimer’s disease. However, Alzheimer’s disease is the sixth leading cause of death, worldwide.
Being a chronic disease, Alzheimer’s disease, does not have any permanent cure and thus its prevention ¡s better than its cure. And one such way of prevention is by consuming a specific diet which actually helps in reducing the risk of this chronic disease.
The ‘MIND’ Diet
Martha Clare Morris, a nutritional epidemiologist took an excellent initiative in developing a brain-friendly diet termed the MIND’ diet which helps in preventing Alzheimer’s disease. The term ‘MIND’ actually stands for Mediterranean – DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay.’
As the name itself specifies, the ‘MIND’ diet is a combination of two diets, which are most popular and accepted worldwide – the Mediterranean and DASH Diet (dietary approaches to stop hypertension).
The Mediterranean diet mostly comprises of vegetables, nuts, fish, olive oils, fruits and red wine, whereas the DASH diet comprises of eating whole grains, fruits and vegetables and also a low salt diet.
The ‘MIND’ diet not only helps in protecting against Alzheimer’s disease but also helps ¡n improving the overall function of the brain. Thus, it helps one to focus better and increase productivity levels. As a whole, this diet is quite simple to follow as it has just ten foods to include in the daily diet and a reduction of the intake of five specific foods.
10 Foods To Include
- Include at least three servings of whole grains in a day
- At least five servings of nuts should be eaten per week
- Berries have to be included as two or more servings per week
- Green leafy vegetables should be a daily inclusion, at least six times a week
- Other vegetables should be eaten daily (as usual)
- Wine should be taken as one serving per day
- Add poultry (chicken) in your diet twice per week
- Beansilegumes are recommended up to two-three servings In a week
- Fish also has to be included as one or more servings in a week
- Olive oil should be used as the main cooking oil
Nutrition From The 10 ‘MIND’ Diet Foods
Nutritionally, all the foods mentioned above contains lots of vitamins and minerals. The leafy vegetables are loaded with vitamin C and E, which are actually antioxidants and fights the free radicals which damage the brain. In this way, eating vegetables loaded with vitamin C helps in improving brain function and thus cognition (memory) doesn’t get affected easily.
The ‘MIND’ diet is a combination of two diets which are most popular and accepted worldwide – the Mediterranean and DASH Diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension)
Additionally, vitamin C acts as a powerful detoxifier in the brain, by crossing the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and thus removes metal toxins, which affect the brain cells over a period of time.
Similarly, the other group of B-complex vitamins like B6, B12 and folic acid which are in abundance in green leafy vegetables helps in improving brain atrophy and thus prevents one from being prone to Alzheimer’s disease.
Berries are known to be loaded with flavonoids called anthocyanins, which are responsible for the beautiful colour berries have. Anthocyanins not only give berries their colour, but also make it one of the top superfoods in the world, because of its excellent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. These same properties prevent the inflammation of brain cells that is known to contribute to Alzheimer’s disease.
Long-term 812 deficiency usually causes neuro-degenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s disease and thus the ‘Mind Diet’ recommends Including fish in the diet daily, as it ¡s rich in vitamin B12 and omega 3 fatty acids which helps in preventing brain atrophy, dementia and thus Alzheimers disease.
Five Foods To Reduce
1. Fried and fast foods, which are actually loaded with heaps of sugar and trans fat should be reduced to less than a serving per week
2. Cheese, which also contains a lot of unhealthy fat has to be taken not more than one serving per week
3. Pastries and sweets tilled with plenty of added sugar, actually increases insulin resistance and thus reduces the metabolism of glucose in the brain, thus decreasing the energy supply to brain cells and making them slowly go into atrophy, which is one of the causes of Alzheimer’s disease, Also, research has now been declaring Alzheimer’s disease as Type 3 diabetes
4. Red meat should not be taken more than three-tour servings per week
5. Since butter and margarine are trans-fat foods it is strictly advised not to take more than half a teaspoon per day.
Health Tip
Along with the appropriate diet, including exercise and managing stress in one’s daily schedule helps a lot in reducing the risk towards Alzheimers disease.