Foods for Combating Alzheimer's & Dementia - Part 1 - What to Avoid

What Is It?

Alzheimer's is the most common form of dementia, a progressive deterioration of mental and cognitive functions (the ability to think, reason, and remember) that comes with the physical degeneration of the brain.

While the below nutrient and diet guide is meant for preventing or helping to alleviate the symptoms of dementia, these tips can also be applied to maintaining a healthy diet (and avoiding other health concerns such as obesity, heart disease, celiac disease etc) for younger people as well.

Link Between Diabetes and Alzheimer's

• Low levels of insulin or the presence of insulin resistant cells (the hallmarks of diabetes) in the brain leads to the brain having trouble properly processing glucose (the main type of sugar in the blood & source of energy). The symptoms that manifest are similar to dementia.
• Studies have found that an increased blood sugar content, which often arises from a lack of proper nutrition as found in diabetes type 2, will also increase the chances of developing dementia.
• This leads to Alzheimer's often being called "diabetes of the brain" or "type 3 diabetes". The diabetic brain has been found to shrink at an average of 2.5x faster than normal and accelerates the development of plaque in the brain
• In particular concentrated doses of fructose (fruit sugar), especially high fructose corn syrup, has been found to interfere with learning and long term memory retention. It's recommended to keep fructose intake below 25g per day.
• Pastries and other sweets that use refined sugar (pure sucrose which is found in such things as table sugar, powdered sugar, and blending sugar used in desserts) should be limited to no more than 5 servings per week.
• Certain white grains such as white rice, white float, and white bread can also cause spikes in blood sugar.
  

Gluten Sensitivity

• Gluten is a protein compound that can be found in cereal grains such as wheat, barley, rye found in flour, breads, and pastas etc. Sensitivity to its presence manifests in celiac disease, a digestive disorder.
• Studies suggest that some gluten sensitivities will also manifest in  neurological symptoms like dementia with a higher intake of carbohydrates in meals increasing the chances.
• This can be avoided or mitigated by replacing grains & starches in your diet with non-starchy green vegetables

Omega-6 Fatty Acids + Saturated Fats + Trans Fats

There's quite a bit of overlap in the foods that contain these sorts of fats and all of them increase the risk of developing dementia in a variety of ways.

Saturated Fats

• Saturated fats are fat molecules that lack any double bonds between carbon due their being saturated with hydrogen molecules instead.
• These types of fats are found in all animal products and a high intake of them in one's diet doubles the risk of developing Alzheimer's.
• Saturated fats repress the chemical (apolipoprotein E) which helps remove amyloid beta proteins from the brain, thus causing an increase in the amyloid plaque in the brain found in dementia sufferers.

Trans Fats (Trans-unsaturated fatty acids)

• An unsaturated fat uncommon in nature that is produced from vegetable fats.
• Its presence increases the production of beta-amyloid protein that collects in plaque within the brain and thus a moderate dietary intake doubles to triples the risk of developing Alzheimer's.
• This is found in baked goods, snacks such as potato chips & popcorn, fried foods, refrigerated dough (biscuits, rolls, pizza crusts), and nondairy creamer & margarine. Be wary of any foods that have hydrogenated in their ingredient labels.

Omega-6 Essential Fatty Acid

• The most common forms of Omega-6 in the diet are inflammatory (although there are certain forms such as gamma linolenic acid (GLA) which are anti-inflammatory).
• High levels of arachidonic acid (Omega-6) present in the brain will trigger neurological symptoms similar to dementia. Omega-6 as polyunsaturated fats will also release free radicals which can damage cells during oxidation (especially during deep-frying, when oils are re-used, or stored for too long) Too high levels of Omega-6 have also been linked to  diabetes, arthritis, heart disease, and obesity.
• Omega-6 is most commonly derived from vegetable oils (corn, canola, soybean, and sunflower) and thus can be found in large quantities within junk food, fast food, and in the red meat of corn fed animals.

• Red meat is suggested to have no more than 4 servings per week as Omega-6 fats are found in high doses within factory and farm fed animals. Free radicals are also created by iron oxidizing when the meat is cooked. Pasture-raised lamb is the best form of red meat available as it will lack  high quantities of Omega-6 and also possesses the more beneficial Omega-3 fatty acid as well as Vitamin B.

• Processed foods (meats + cheeses), butter & margarine, fried snacks, and fast food can increase the chances of plaque building within the brain or the release of free radicals due to the presence of saturated, trans, or Omega-6 fat within them, as well as nitrites / nitrosamines and other preservatives.

Excess Metals

• Metal deposits can be found within the beta-amyloid plaques in the brains of dementia sufferers and their presence within the body can release damaging free radicals.
• Iron - High levels of hemoglobin (indicator of iron levels) within the blood lead to three times the risk of developing Alzheimer's. This can be mitigated by subbing in leafy greens (which also include antioxidants to bind to the iron it provides) for red meat and stainless steel pots instead of cast iron (which can leach into the foods it contains)
• Copper - Dietary copper (found within shellfish, nuts, and beans) is generally deemed safe, but inorganic copper (found in multivitamins, tap water, and dental amalgam for cavities) impairs cognitive function by bypassing the liver's filtering function and going straight to the brain. Dental amalgam also contains mercury which also has adverse effects on the brain.
• Aluminum - Can be a neurotoxin and can also easily seep in to excessive amounts through several different sources such as uncoated aluminum cookware, baking powder, antacids, processed foods, soda cans, aluminum foil, and tap water.