Can You Prevent Alzheimer's Disease?

Can You Prevent Alzheimer's Disease?   An estimated 3.5 million Americans have Alzheimer's disease, and the number keeps growing every year. Is there anything you can do to lower the likelihood that you will develop this devastating disorder?   As of now, there is no certain way to avoid getting Alzheimer's disease. But available research suggests a number of measures you can take to reduce your risk:   ·         Exercise your brain  Keeping your mental skills sharp by playing chess and computer and card games, doing crossword puzzles, and maintaining an active social life, have long been recommended as ways to combat Alzheimer's.   ·         Exercise your body  Recent studies suggest that physical exercise can also help to slow brain deterioration.   ·         Eat your vegetables  While nutritionists emphasize the importance of eating plenty of fruits and vegetables, recent studies suggest that vegetables, but not fruits, may help prevent Alzheimer's. One study showed that people 65 years or older who ate 2.8 servings of vegetables a day had a 40 percent lower rate of developing Alzheimer's disease over a 6-year period than those who ate less than 1 daily serving of vegetables. Intake of fruit had no impact on the development of Alzheimer's in this study, but fruit is still important because it provides other helpful nutrients to maintain overall health.   ·         Go Mediterranean  A report from Columbia University found a lower incidence of Alzheimer's in people who adopted a Mediterranean diet-a style of eating in which small amounts of red meat are used as a garnish while increased amounts of vegetables, fruits, olive oil, and fish make up most of the meal.    ·         Get your Omega-3s  According to a recent finding of the long-standing Framingham Heart Study, people with the highest levels of the omega-3 fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) had a 40 to 50 percent lower risk of developing Alzheimer's or any type of dementia. And a study from Sweden noted that dietary supplements of fish oils and their omega-3 fatty acids slowed the progression of Alzheimer's in people with a mild form of the disease.   Other actions that you can take to prevent Alzheimer's are less clear. Some research suggests that the benefit of eating vegetables to prevent Alzheimer's is due to the vitamin E contained in the vegetables themselves or in the oils added in salads. But studies of vitamin E supplements have shown mixed results on the prevention or progress of Alzheimer's. For this reason, some researchers advise eating foods rich in vitamin E (found in vegetable oils, nuts, green leafy vegetables, and fortified cereals) rather than taking supplements of the vitamin. One reason for this advice is the evidence for possible adverse effects of taking the common dose of 400 IU of vitamin E supplements.   Other studies have focused on the effects on Alzheimer's of taking statin drugs. But the findings here are mixed as well. Some small studies show slight benefits, while reviews of multiple studies suggest statins do not provide significant protection against Alzheimer's. Where does all of this leave us? Even if there's no guarantee you will never develop Alzheimer's disease, exercising regularly and eating more fish and vegetables are certainly sensible prescriptions for maintaining general health. And keeping the brain sharp with mental exercises sounds like lots of fun, whatever its effects on Alzheimer's or dementia in general. However, I would wait for more definitive evidence before trying to prevent Alzheimer's disease by taking statin drugs or supplements of vitamin E or fish-oil.   (Source:   By Simeon Margolis, M.D., Ph.D, http://health.yahoo.com/experts/healthnews/1912/can-you-prevent-alzheimers-disease/)