DVIDS – News – Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness and the Effects of Nutrition, LTC Brenda D. White, MS, RD, LDN.

I remember the days when I was a child and went to visit my grandparents’ house in the country like it was yesterday. My grandmother always made me these wonderfully crunchy biscuits, red hot links, and delicious buttery grits on the wood stove. When the food was ready he would shout and I would phrase it this way: “Where are you, son? Come here and eat Brendly.” The only person who added “ly” to my name was my grandmother, I didn’t mind at all because I loved her and she liked to see me eat the whole tray of biscuits by myself so I obliged.

The days I spent with my grandmother were the best, but they faded away as time went by. My grandfather suddenly went off the road and my Aunt Bessie came to live with him. At first I thought my aunt was there so my grandmother wouldn’t be alone. But as I continued to visit my grandmother, it became clearer why my aunt was there. I remember that my grandmother began to forget, wandered away from home, fought with everyone who got in her way, and constantly poked her right cheek. The name he gave me was quickly forgotten. My mother and aunt called my grandmother’s condition the ‘Old Times Disease’.

November is Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness month; Take some time to re-evaluate your daily habits. Do they consist of exercise and healthy, wholesome nutritional food intake? Do your habits matter? – YES, extensive research shows that our daily nutritional intake as well as our exercise regimen may be important factors in reducing the risk of Alzheimer’s Disease or slowing the progression of Alzheimer’s Disease cognitive decline.

To date, it is still considered a disease of the elderly, as only 5 to 8% of the population is diagnosed with early onset each year. The medical terminology for this disease is Alzheimer’s Disease. It is a neurological disease characterized by a gradual deterioration in cognitive abilities. There is currently no known cure for Alzheimer’s Disease, but there are medications that can slow progression and manage symptoms depending on the condition/stage of the disease. Research has been conducted on the effects of nutrition and various types of diets on the progression of Alzheimer’s Disease. The Mediterranean Diet, the Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND), and the Western Diet have been extensively evaluated.

The Mediterranean diet consists primarily of fruits, vegetables, fish, breads, grains, monounsaturated fats (olive oil/canola oil, etc.), legumes, nuts, beans, seeds, moderate amounts of dairy and poultry, limited or reduced amounts of red . and processed meats etc. These are foods that contain high amounts of antioxidants and phytochemicals (natural disease fighters). The concept, in its simplest terms. The hypothesis is that consumption of foods associated with the Mediterranean diet may reduce oxidative stress and inflammation, thus helping to protect brain cells and cognitive function.

The MIND diet is a combination of the Mediterranean Diet and Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension Diet. It consists mainly of whole grains, plenty of fruits and green leafy vegetables, nuts, beans, monounsaturated fats (olive oil), moderate intake of poultry, and limited or limited intake of red meat. The concept is the same for the MIND diet because it can reduce oxidative stress and inflammation, thus helping to protect brain cells and cognitive function.

Both the Mediterranean and MIND diets have neuroprotective factors. High amounts of potassium, calcium, magnesium, fiber, moderate protein, etc. they contain; They also contain low amounts of sodium, saturated fat and simple sugar.

The Western diet consists of wonderful biscuits, red hot meats, and the buttery grits my grandmother used to make me when I was a kid. Excessive amounts of saturated fats, simple sugars, cholesterol, sodium, etc. in the diet. But whole grains, fruits and vegetables are woefully lacking in mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids, those wonderful essential fatty acids – 3, 6, and 9. Additionally, as the body ages, it loses vitamins and minerals, which are natural disease fighters found in Mediterranean and MIND diets. There is a gradual decrease in its absorption from the intestines.

Consider making long-term dietary changes, such as the Mediterranean or MIND diet, and consider Western diet foods as occasional treats.

References:
1. WHO. Global Health Observatory (GHO) data: top 10 causes of death. (2017) [last accessed 3 Nov 2023]. http://www.who.int/gho/mortality_burden_disease/causes_death/top_10/en/.
2. Ibrahim, T. (2020). Potential role of nutritional components in improving brain function in patients with Alzheimer’s disease: a meta-analysis of RCT studies. Neurosciences. 25, 4–17.
3. Solch, RJ, Aigbogun JO, Voyiadjis AG, Talkington GM, Darensbourg RM, Connell, S, Pickett, KM, Perez, SR. (2022). Adherence to the Mediterranean diet, gut microbiota, and risk of Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s disease: A systematic review. Journal of Neurological Sciences., 1-15.
4. Marchand NE, Jensen MK. (2018). The role of diet and lifestyle factors in maintaining cognitive health. Am J Lifestyle Med;12 (4):268–85.
5.Lou IX, Ali K, Chen Q. (2023). Effect of nutrition on Alzheimer’s disease: A systematic review. Front. Neuroscience. 17:1147177.
6. Van den Brink A, Brouwer-Brolsma E, Berendsen A, van de Rest, O. (2019). Mediterranean dietary approaches to stopping hypertension (Mediterranean-DASH intervention for DASH and neurodegenerative delay (MIND) diets are associated with less cognitive decline and lower risk of alzheimer’s disease – A Review. ASN. 1-26:1040).