The more you know about Alzheimer’s Disease, the better able you’ll be to prevent it. One way to lower your risk of developing Alzheimer’s is to eat the right foods every day. You’ll be much more likely to grow older with a healthy brain. So, check out the following foods and start adding them to your daily diet.
Milk
Milk provides your body with healthy amounts of glutathione. Glutathione is a natural antioxidant that prevents oxidative stress. If left unchecked, oxidative stress can cause damage to the brain.
Broccoli
Broccoli has three power nutrients that your brain needs to function optimally — choline, folic acid and vitamin K. Choline improves memory while vitamin K helps strengthen cognitive abilities. Folic acid content can help ward off symptoms of Alzheimer’s and it helps prevent depression.
Blueberries
A handful of blueberries is a very healthy snack. Not only can it help you lose weight, it will also do your brain a huge favor! Regular consumption of blueberries has been found to help in delaying the symptoms of short-term memory loss. This is due to anthocyanins. Anthocyanin compounds are responsible for the bright colors of vegetables and fruits. Experts from the University of Manchester discovered that eating bright purple fruits like blueberries can help delay the onset of Alzheimer’s symptoms.
The phytonutrients found in brightly colored fruits and vegetables are able to soak up harmful iron compounds that can trigger the production of toxins. These toxins can have very harmful effects on your health and increase your risk of developing degenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s, Multiple Sclerosis and Alzheimer’s.
To prevent these iron compounds from causing damage you should eat foods that function as iron chelators. Blueberries and other brightly-colored fruits and vegetables do a good job of chelating iron in our bodies.
Eggs
Eggs are great sources of B vitamins, which help reduce blood levels of homocysteine. High homocysteine levels can increase the risk of cognitive impairment, stroke and Alzheimer’s disease.
A study showed that older patients diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment had less brain shrinkage after receiving high doses of folic acid, vitamins B12 and B6, when compared to patients who were given placebo.
Curry
A 2009 study showed that eating a curry dish containing turmeric once or twice a week can help prevent the development of Alzheimer’s disease. This is because turmeric contains curcumin which has the ability to inhibit the spread of plaques in the brain. Plaques are commonly observed in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients.
Fish
One of the findings from a study conducted by the experts from the University of Alabama suggest that a Mediterranean diet makes people 19 percent less likely to have problems with memory and thinking skills. What’s in a Mediterranean diet that gives people improved brain skills compared to other diets? Omega-3 fatty acids, for one. Omega 3s have earned a good reputation for the ability to improve brain health. The Mediterranean diet encourages the regular consumption of fish rich in omega 3 fatty acids. Examples of these are mackerel, herring, sardines, lake trout, albacore tuna and salmon.
These are a few of the foods that will help you reduce your risk of Alzheimer’s disease. If you’re already eating some of them, good for you. Try adding others into your diet.
