Mega Doctor News
CLEVELAND CLINIC – November is Alzheimer’s Awareness Month.
Reports show more than 7 million Americans have Alzheimer’s.
While there is no cure, there are ways you can help reduce your risk of developing it – like by improving your diet.
“What we choose to eat can make or break our health. When it comes to Alzheimer’s prevention, we are looking for foods that are going to achieve some goals. Number one, we want to focus on foods that will provide optimal nutrients like fiber, antioxidants and healthy fats. And we also are focusing on choosing foods that are going to lower inflammation,” said Sandra Darling, DO, MPH, who specializes in preventative medicine at Cleveland Clinic.
Dr. Darling explains that neuroinflammation, which is inflammation of the brain, can play a role in developing Alzheimer’s.
One way we can prevent that is by eating certain foods.
She recommends following the MIND diet since it has been found to be the most beneficial for brain health and Alzheimer’s prevention.
It consists of eating mainly plant-based foods, such as fruits, berries in particular, as well as vegetables, nuts, beans and whole grains.
Poultry and seafood are also recommended in place of red meat and processed meat.
“In terms of those recommendations, there are guidelines that people can follow. And the beauty of this particular approach is that some research based out of Rush University in Chicago found that when people were following the MIND diet, even moderate adherence lowered the risk of Alzheimer’s compared to people that were not following it. So, that’s good to know because who can follow a diet perfectly?” said Dr. Darling.
As for what to avoid, Dr. Darling said it’s best to skip foods that are ultra-processed and high in saturated fat, sodium and sugar.
The same goes for processed meats and alcohol.
