Foods To Lower Alzheimer’s Risk?

ANDREW WEIL, M.D. | JUNE 18, 2020

 

Foods To Lower Alzheimer’s Risk?

 

Is it true that the more apples and berries you eat, the lower your risk of Alzheimer’s disease?

 

New research does suggest that the more apples, berries and tea you consume, the lower your risk of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. This finding comes from a 20-year-long Tufts University study that included 2,801 people age 50 and older. It looked at their consumption of flavonoids, natural substances found in fruit and onions as well as in tea, red wine and dark chocolate. Low intake of apples, pears and tea was linked with twice the normal risk of developing dementia and low intake of blueberries, strawberries and red wine was associated with a risk that was four times higher than normal.

 

Study participants whose flavonoid intake was low consumed no berries, only one and a half apples and no tea per month. High intake meant consuming about 7.5 cups of blueberries or strawberries per month, eight apples and pears and 19 cups of tea.

 

Senior author Paul Jacques, a nutritional epidemiologist, said that with no effective drugs available for treatment of Alzheimer’s, preventing it with a healthy diet is important. He added that age 50 – the approximate age at which data from the study participants was first analyzed – isn’t too late in life to make positive dietary changes. (The risk of dementia starts to increase over age 70.) He said the study’s “take home message is, when you are approaching 50 or just beyond, you should start thinking about a healthier diet, if you haven’t already.”

 

First author Esra Shistar added that the study results reveal that the people who may benefit most from consuming more flavonoids are those who eat the least of the foods containing them, “and it doesn’t take much to improve levels. A cup of tea a day or some berries two or three times a week would be adequate.”

 

I agree that it isn’t difficult to add some tea and berries to your diet. We’ve known for some time that people who have high blood levels of homocysteine, a toxic amino acid, have twice the usual risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. Homocysteine tends to be higher in people whose diets are high in animal protein; conversely, fruits and leafy green vegetables provide folic acid and other B vitamins that can help the body reduce homocysteine levels. It’s difficult to establish cause and effect but reducing animal protein and eating more berries and other plant foods – and drinking tea – are good for general health and may help to prevent or alleviate symptoms of Alzheimer’s.

 

Andrew Weil, M.D.

 

Source:

Paul F. Jacques et al “Long-term dietary flavonoid intake and risk of Alzheimer disease and related dementias in the Framingham Offspring Cohort.” The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, April 20, 2020; DOI: 10.1093/ajcn/nqaa079

 

食品可降低老年痴呆症的风险？

 

你吃的苹果和浆果越多，你患老年痴呆症的风险就越低，这是真的吗？

 

新的研究确实表明，您食用的苹果，浆果和茶越多，患阿尔茨海默氏病和相关痴呆症的风险就越低。这一发现来自塔夫茨大学（Tafts University）长达20年的研究，其中包括2,801名年龄在50岁以上的人。它研究了他们食用类黄酮，它是存在于水果和洋葱以及茶，红酒和黑巧克力中的天然物质。苹果，梨和茶的摄入量低与患痴呆症的正常风险是正常人的两倍有关，蓝莓，草莓和红酒的摄入量与正常人相比高四倍。

 

研究对象的黄酮摄入量低的消费者是：每月没有浆果，只有一个半苹果和没有茶。 高摄入量意味着每月消费大约7.5杯蓝莓或草莓，8杯苹果和梨，19杯茶。

 

营养流行病学家保罗·雅克（Paul Jacques）说，由于没有治疗老年痴呆症的有效药物，因此用健康的饮食预防这种药物是很重要的。 他补充说，50岁——研究对象数据首先分析的近似年龄——生活中并不晚，无法做出积极的饮食变化。 （痴呆的风险在70岁以上开始增加）。他说，这项研究的“带回信息是，当你接近50岁或稍后时，你应该开始考虑一个更健康的饮食，如果你还没有。”

 

第一作者Esra Shistar补充说，研究结果表明，消费更多黄酮中最受益的人是那些吃最少含有黄酮的食物，需要改进的地方并不多，每天一杯茶或一些浆果，一周两次或两次就足够了。”

 

我同意在饮食中添加一些茶和浆果并不难。我们已经知道，血液中高半胱氨酸（一种有毒的氨基酸）水平高的人患阿尔茨海默氏病的风险是通常的两倍。饮食中动物蛋白含量高的人体内的同型半胱氨酸含量较高。相反，水果和多叶绿色蔬菜可提供叶酸和其他B族维生素，可帮助人体降低高半胱氨酸水平。很难确定因果关系，但减少动物蛋白和多吃浆果和其他植物性食物（以及喝茶）对身体健康有好处，并可能有助于预防或减轻阿尔茨海默氏症的症状。

 

安德鲁·韦尔，M.D.

 

资料来源：

保罗·F Jacques等人“Framingham OffspringCohort长期饮食黄酮摄入和患老年痴呆症及相关痴呆症的危险”。 《美国临床营养杂志》，2020年4月20日；DOI：10.1093/ajcn/nqaa079。