Can a Simple Salad Prevent Alzheimer’s?
Around half a million Canadians suffer from Alzheimer’s, a brain disease that impairs an individual’s memory and thinking. Recent research published in the Archives of Neurology has shed light on how people can avoid this disease. Avoiding Alzheimer’s entails eating healthy foods such as fish, green vegetables, chicken, nuts, and salad dressing.
Salads vs. Alzheimer’s
A study by the Columbia University Medical Center (New York) verified this advice by analyzing 2,148 adults aged 65 and older. All adults in the study had no dementia, the usual cause for Alzheimer’s in senior citizens. Researchers varied dietary patterns to see which nutrients would lower or increase the subject’s risk for Alzheimer’s. The food components analyzed throughout the study were omega-3 fats, vitamin E, saturated fat, vitamin E, vitamin B12, folate, omega-6 fats, and vitamin B12.
After four years of tracking the subject’s diet and dementia development, 253 adults acquired Alzheimer’s disease. Date proved that those who ate more tomatoes, fruits, green vegetables, nuts, cruciferous vegetables, and less red meat, butter, and high-fat dairy had a 38 percent lower chance of developing Alzheimer’s.
How salads do it
These foods prevent Alzheimer’s through their antioxidant action. The brain’s competence declines due to oxidative damage or free radical damage since it needs a constant supply of oxygen. Free radicals are unstable compounds found in pollutants such as cigarette smoke. Eating more vegetable oils, peanuts, soybeans, and vegetables provides the body with more antioxidants, protecting the brain from deterioration.
Vegetables and fruits also contain folate, which maintain the blood’s levels of homocysteine. An increased level of homocysteine can destroy the artery walls, thus making the body more vulnerable to dementia and Alzheimer’s. The brain’s arteries can be strengthened through the healthy fats contained in salad dressing, nuts, and oily fish. These foods reduce the likelihood of blood clot formation, inflammation, and excessive amounts of beta amyloid (a protein that can disrupt brain cell communication).
Alzheimer’s and beyond
Diets low in red meat, butter, and high-fat dairy foods will also lower the body’s LDL or bad cholesterol. LDL is responsible for damaging arteries, including those found in the brain. A past research confirms that diets heavy on saturated fat from animals increase the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
Salad dressings that can prevent Alzheimer’s include olive, almond, avocado, and canola oils. The healthiest oily fish include sardines, salmon, anchovies, and herrings. Some nuts worth snacking on are almonds, walnuts, pistachios, hazelnuts, and Brazil nuts. As for vegetables, nutritionists recommend cauliflower, turnip, broccoli, arugula, Swiss Chard, and spinach. These greens are best eaten with tomatoes and fresh fruits (i.e. berries, kiwi, melon, and apples).
A healthy diet solution is the key to avoiding chronic diseases like Alzheimer’s. Vegetables, fruits, and fish dishes can taste good; you simply have to know how to cook them. A recent study reports that a Mediterranean-style diet can reduce the Alzheimer’s risk by 40 percent. Eating right and living longer does not have to involve bland and boring food. There are many weight loss reviews sites that include recipes for nutrient-filled dishes. There are also diet reviews for those who prefer a set menu plan.
