Dr. Mercola's Comments: Dr. William Grant provided this thorough review of Alzheimer's disease and, as mentioned in his bio below, he published the first paper linking diet to Alzheimer's disease and identifying the major dietary components that are risk and risk reduction factors. Before you get into the article, I'd like to point out that one of the dietary recommendations that Dr. Grant mentions is fish. While fish would be an extremely healthy food, I would not recommend it eating it to reduce your risk of Alzheimer's because, unfortunately, most all fish is contaminated with mercury and other pollutants. Unless you can verify via lab testing that the fish you are eating is mercury-free, I would not eat it. However, an excellent alternative to eating fish is taking high-quality fish oil or cod liver oil, either in the form of Carslon's liquid or Living Fuel Omega 3 and E. Eating plenty of fish oil is an important part of preventing Alzheimer's (and a host of other diseases as well). Following are additional steps you can use to reduce your risk of Alzheimer's. These inexpensive and natural methods can be easily implemented by anyone, and you can keep them in mind as you read the article below: Follow the nutrition plan paying special attention to avoiding sugar Eat plenty of high-quality omega-3 fish oil Avoid most fish and remove mercury Avoid aluminum, such as in antiperspirants, cookware, etc. Exercise for three to five hours per week Eat plenty of vegetables according to your metabolic type Avoid flu vaccinations Try Wild Blueberry IQ, an all-natural, whole fruit softgel made from wild blueberries, which have high anthocyanin and antioxidant content that are known to guard against Alzheimer's and other neurological diseases By William B. Grant, Ph.D. Sunlight, Nutrition and Health Research Center (SUNARC) www.sunarc.org Peer-reviewed by Dr. Russell Blaylock Alzheimer’s disease (AD), first described in 1906 by German psychiatrist Alois Alzheimer, is a progressive brain disorder that causes a gradual and irreversible decline in memory, language skills, perception of time and space, emotional stability, pattern recognition, coordination, and, eventually, the ability to care for oneself 1. AD is associated with abnormal changes in the brain involving plaques, tangles, beta-amyloid protein, and free radicals 2. The risk factors for AD include both genetic and environmental factors. The primary genetic risk factor is the presence of the apolipoprotein E epsilon4 (APOE e4) allele, which is more common among: Africans Inuits AmerIndians Northern Europeans than southern Europeans 3 This allele can be considered a "thrifty gene," one that helps store excess energy as fat, which is a survival factor for hunter-gatherer peoples 4. The primary dietary risk factors are total energy and some types of fat, while the primary risk reduction factors are fish and some types of fat. Some studies have also reported that diets high in cereals and grains are associated with reduced rates of AD 5-7. Among fats, the good ones are 8,9: linoleic acid (found in safflower, sunflower, hemp, soybean, walnut, pumpkin, sesame, and flax seed oil 10) alpha-linolenic acid (found in fish, canola, flax, hemp seed, soy bean, and walnut oil and dark green leaves 10) docosahexanoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentanoic acid (EPA), largely found in fish oil olive oil The bad ones are trans-fatty acids (found in many processed foods and labeled as partially-hydrogenated vegetable oils) 8,11,12. Antioxidant vitamins C and E, as well as flavonoids, found in fruits and vegetables, and resveratrol, found in red wine, play a protective role. Obesity, smoking, cholesterol, and homocysteine are also risk factors, while exercise reduces the risk. Thus, even if one has a genetic predisposition for AD, there are many ways that one can reduce the risk. For those who want to reduce their risk of AD, the most important thing appears to be to maintain a low body mass index by eating a diet low in total energy, low in bad fats, adequate in good fats, high in fruits, vegetables and antioxidants. Added sugars should also be avoided since they lead to obesity 13. The traditional diet in the Mediterranean provides an example of a good diet 14. Adequate folate consumption, perhaps via supplements, should also be included. In addition, antioxidant and folate supplements would be beneficial. Finally, keeping both the mind and body active is very helpful. An Introduction to Alzheimer’s Disease AD is a disease in which the mind deteriorates to the point where one has no memory and a limited ability to function. It is one form of dementia. Another common type of dementia is called vascular dementia (VaD). However, the two types of dementia are sometimes present simultaneously, and both are sometimes considered to represent variations of the same disease 15. The pathology of AD is linked to tangles and plaques in the brain, and these structures are associated with beta-amyloid protein. AD brain tissue contains higher levels of free radicals and oxidative stress. In the early 1990s, Alan Roses’ group discovered that the APOE e4 allele is closely associated with risk for AD 16-20. The APOE e4 allele was also found to be associated with oxidative insults to the brain 21. Those with higher risk of having the APOE e4 allele include those with African or American Indian ethnic backgrounds. Those with genetic roots in northern Europe have a somewhat lower probability than the first two ethnic groups, and the probability is lower among southern Europeans 3. The likely reason for this variation with ethnicity is based on the role of the APOE alleles in regulating the metabolic process of food assimilation and generation of lipids, as well as other functions. The APOE e4 allele is associated with the storage of excess energy as fat, which is an important survival trait among hunter-gatherers or those who live in regions with harsh winters. ApoE acts as a cholesterol transporter in the brain 22, and cholesterol is a risk factor for AD 23. Studies with cells found results consistent with APOEe4 forming a reactive molecular intermediate that avidly binds phospholipid and may insert into the lysosomal membrane, destabilizing it and causing lysosomal leakage and apoptosis in response to Abeta1-42 24. APOEe4 may also be a risk factor for increased transition metal (iron, mercury, zinc, etc.) and aluminum ion concentrations in the body and brain 25. While the strong connection between genetics and AD is very important, it suffered a setback in terms of being the only important risk factor for AD in 1996 with the publication of a report from the Honolulu-Asia Aging Study showing that Japanese-American men living in Hawaii had 2.5 times the prevalence of AD of native Japanese 26. At the time that I read the account of this finding, I was studying the adverse effects of ozone and acid rain on eastern oak and hickory forests and learned that acid deposition lowers the pH of the soil and, in doing so, dissolves some aluminum and transition metal oxides, thereby releasing these metal ions into the soil where trees and other plants can readily absorb them. I was also aware that those diagnosed with AD had increased aluminum in their brains. I quickly reasoned that since the Japanese had the same genetic traits no matter where they lived, they had to have experienced some environmental factor in Hawaii that led to their AD. I also thought that the most important environmental factor in the broadest sense was the food they ate. In my forest studies, I had developed a facility with the ecologic approach for studying links between environmental factors and disease outcomes. I reasoned that I should be able to apply the ecologic approach to examine the correlation of major dietary factors on AD prevalence by assembling data from a number of countries. In the ecologic approach, populations defined geographically are treated as entities, and population average values for various factors are compared with disease outcomes in regression analyses. Armstrong and Doll 27 did this for cancer, thereby providing an example to follow. I didn’t realize until a few years later that the health research community had essentially discarded the ecologic approach after an influential paper by Doll and Peto 28 stated that it was not very reliable or useful in determining causal factors for disease. Note that, more recently, the ecologic approach has largely been vindicated after case-control and cohort approaches confirmed the findings by Burkitt 29 and Armstrong and Doll 27 that dietary fiber reduces the risk of colorectal cancer and that meat and milk are risk factors for breast cancer 30. Dietary Risks for Alzheimer’s Disease I found AD prevalence data for 11 countries and obtained dietary data from the Food Balance Sheets 31. The linear regression results indicated that total energy and total fat were the primary risk factors, while cereals or grains and fish were the primary risk reduction factors. I gave a seminar on my findings to the AD group at the University of Kentucky in early 1997 and convinced them that I had an interesting finding. James Geddes accepted my manuscript for publication in the Alzheimer Disease Review, and it appeared in print on the Web on June 17, 1997 5. The results were not immediately accepted, in part because I employed the largely abandoned ecologic approach, and in part because I was an independent researcher from a different field (atmospheric sciences). A paper published shortly after mine found total fat as a risk factor for VaD and fish as a risk reduction factor for AD 12,32. Slowly, the interest of the rest of the AD research community was prodded 33,34, and, in 2002, a group at Columbia University confirmed three of the four dietary links to the development of AD (energy, fat, and an inverse association for cereals) 6, very likely inspired by a letter to the editor commenting on their earlier study 35 suggesting that dietary factors were likely involved 33. [ Part I, Part II, Part III] Next >> William B. Grant has a Ph.D. in physics from U.C. Berkeley and has worked at the level of senior research scientist in the fields of optical and laser remote sensing of the atmosphere and atmospheric sciences at SRI International, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and the NASA Langley Research Center. He is the author or coauthor of over 60 physics, instrument development, and atmospheric sciences articles in peer-reviewed journals, has edited two books of reprints, and contributed half a dozen chapters to other books. He published the first paper linking diet to Alzheimer's disease and identifying the major dietary components that are risk and risk reduction factors. He has also studied the links between dietary sugars and heart disease and obesity, diet and breast, colon and prostate cancer, and UVB/vitamin D and cancer and autoimmune diseases. He recently retired from NASA and founded Sunlight, Nutrition and Health Research Center (SUNARC) (www.sunarc.org), where he will continue and extend his health research and educational efforts. References
Dr. William Grant provided this thorough review of Alzheimer's disease and, as mentioned in his bio below, he published the first paper linking diet to Alzheimer's disease and identifying the major dietary components that are risk and risk reduction factors.
Before you get into the article, I'd like to point out that one of the dietary recommendations that Dr. Grant mentions is fish. While fish would be an extremely healthy food, I would not recommend it eating it to reduce your risk of Alzheimer's because, unfortunately, most all fish is contaminated with mercury and other pollutants. Unless you can verify via lab testing that the fish you are eating is mercury-free, I would not eat it.
However, an excellent alternative to eating fish is taking high-quality fish oil or cod liver oil, either in the form of Carslon's liquid or Living Fuel Omega 3 and E. Eating plenty of fish oil is an important part of preventing Alzheimer's (and a host of other diseases as well).
Following are additional steps you can use to reduce your risk of Alzheimer's. These inexpensive and natural methods can be easily implemented by anyone, and you can keep them in mind as you read the article below:
By William B. Grant, Ph.D. Sunlight, Nutrition and Health Research Center (SUNARC) www.sunarc.org
Peer-reviewed by Dr. Russell Blaylock
Alzheimer’s disease (AD), first described in 1906 by German psychiatrist Alois Alzheimer, is a progressive brain disorder that causes a gradual and irreversible decline in memory, language skills, perception of time and space, emotional stability, pattern recognition, coordination, and, eventually, the ability to care for oneself 1. AD is associated with abnormal changes in the brain involving plaques, tangles, beta-amyloid protein, and free radicals 2.
The risk factors for AD include both genetic and environmental factors. The primary genetic risk factor is the presence of the apolipoprotein E epsilon4 (APOE e4) allele, which is more common among:
This allele can be considered a "thrifty gene," one that helps store excess energy as fat, which is a survival factor for hunter-gatherer peoples 4.
The primary dietary risk factors are total energy and some types of fat, while the primary risk reduction factors are fish and some types of fat. Some studies have also reported that diets high in cereals and grains are associated with reduced rates of AD 5-7. Among fats, the good ones are 8,9:
The bad ones are trans-fatty acids (found in many processed foods and labeled as partially-hydrogenated vegetable oils) 8,11,12.
Antioxidant vitamins C and E, as well as flavonoids, found in fruits and vegetables, and resveratrol, found in red wine, play a protective role. Obesity, smoking, cholesterol, and homocysteine are also risk factors, while exercise reduces the risk. Thus, even if one has a genetic predisposition for AD, there are many ways that one can reduce the risk.
For those who want to reduce their risk of AD, the most important thing appears to be to maintain a low body mass index by eating a diet low in total energy, low in bad fats, adequate in good fats, high in fruits, vegetables and antioxidants. Added sugars should also be avoided since they lead to obesity 13.
The traditional diet in the Mediterranean provides an example of a good diet 14. Adequate folate consumption, perhaps via supplements, should also be included. In addition, antioxidant and folate supplements would be beneficial. Finally, keeping both the mind and body active is very helpful.
An Introduction to Alzheimer’s Disease
AD is a disease in which the mind deteriorates to the point where one has no memory and a limited ability to function. It is one form of dementia. Another common type of dementia is called vascular dementia (VaD). However, the two types of dementia are sometimes present simultaneously, and both are sometimes considered to represent variations of the same disease 15.
The pathology of AD is linked to tangles and plaques in the brain, and these structures are associated with beta-amyloid protein. AD brain tissue contains higher levels of free radicals and oxidative stress. In the early 1990s, Alan Roses’ group discovered that the APOE e4 allele is closely associated with risk for AD 16-20. The APOE e4 allele was also found to be associated with oxidative insults to the brain 21. Those with higher risk of having the APOE e4 allele include those with African or American Indian ethnic backgrounds. Those with genetic roots in northern Europe have a somewhat lower probability than the first two ethnic groups, and the probability is lower among southern Europeans 3.
The likely reason for this variation with ethnicity is based on the role of the APOE alleles in regulating the metabolic process of food assimilation and generation of lipids, as well as other functions. The APOE e4 allele is associated with the storage of excess energy as fat, which is an important survival trait among hunter-gatherers or those who live in regions with harsh winters.
ApoE acts as a cholesterol transporter in the brain 22, and cholesterol is a risk factor for AD 23. Studies with cells found results consistent with APOEe4 forming a reactive molecular intermediate that avidly binds phospholipid and may insert into the lysosomal membrane, destabilizing it and causing lysosomal leakage and apoptosis in response to Abeta1-42 24. APOEe4 may also be a risk factor for increased transition metal (iron, mercury, zinc, etc.) and aluminum ion concentrations in the body and brain 25.
While the strong connection between genetics and AD is very important, it suffered a setback in terms of being the only important risk factor for AD in 1996 with the publication of a report from the Honolulu-Asia Aging Study showing that Japanese-American men living in Hawaii had 2.5 times the prevalence of AD of native Japanese 26.
At the time that I read the account of this finding, I was studying the adverse effects of ozone and acid rain on eastern oak and hickory forests and learned that acid deposition lowers the pH of the soil and, in doing so, dissolves some aluminum and transition metal oxides, thereby releasing these metal ions into the soil where trees and other plants can readily absorb them.
I was also aware that those diagnosed with AD had increased aluminum in their brains. I quickly reasoned that since the Japanese had the same genetic traits no matter where they lived, they had to have experienced some environmental factor in Hawaii that led to their AD. I also thought that the most important environmental factor in the broadest sense was the food they ate.
In my forest studies, I had developed a facility with the ecologic approach for studying links between environmental factors and disease outcomes. I reasoned that I should be able to apply the ecologic approach to examine the correlation of major dietary factors on AD prevalence by assembling data from a number of countries.
In the ecologic approach, populations defined geographically are treated as entities, and population average values for various factors are compared with disease outcomes in regression analyses. Armstrong and Doll 27 did this for cancer, thereby providing an example to follow. I didn’t realize until a few years later that the health research community had essentially discarded the ecologic approach after an influential paper by Doll and Peto 28 stated that it was not very reliable or useful in determining causal factors for disease.
Note that, more recently, the ecologic approach has largely been vindicated after case-control and cohort approaches confirmed the findings by Burkitt 29 and Armstrong and Doll 27 that dietary fiber reduces the risk of colorectal cancer and that meat and milk are risk factors for breast cancer 30.
Dietary Risks for Alzheimer’s Disease
I found AD prevalence data for 11 countries and obtained dietary data from the Food Balance Sheets 31. The linear regression results indicated that total energy and total fat were the primary risk factors, while cereals or grains and fish were the primary risk reduction factors. I gave a seminar on my findings to the AD group at the University of Kentucky in early 1997 and convinced them that I had an interesting finding. James Geddes accepted my manuscript for publication in the Alzheimer Disease Review, and it appeared in print on the Web on June 17, 1997 5.
The results were not immediately accepted, in part because I employed the largely abandoned ecologic approach, and in part because I was an independent researcher from a different field (atmospheric sciences).
A paper published shortly after mine found total fat as a risk factor for VaD and fish as a risk reduction factor for AD 12,32. Slowly, the interest of the rest of the AD research community was prodded 33,34, and, in 2002, a group at Columbia University confirmed three of the four dietary links to the development of AD (energy, fat, and an inverse association for cereals) 6, very likely inspired by a letter to the editor commenting on their earlier study 35 suggesting that dietary factors were likely involved 33.
William B. Grant has a Ph.D. in physics from U.C. Berkeley and has worked at the level of senior research scientist in the fields of optical and laser remote sensing of the atmosphere and atmospheric sciences at SRI International, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and the NASA Langley Research Center. He is the author or coauthor of over 60 physics, instrument development, and atmospheric sciences articles in peer-reviewed journals, has edited two books of reprints, and contributed half a dozen chapters to other books. He published the first paper linking diet to Alzheimer's disease and identifying the major dietary components that are risk and risk reduction factors. He has also studied the links between dietary sugars and heart disease and obesity, diet and breast, colon and prostate cancer, and UVB/vitamin D and cancer and autoimmune diseases. He recently retired from NASA and founded Sunlight, Nutrition and Health Research Center (SUNARC) (www.sunarc.org), where he will continue and extend his health research and educational efforts.
William B. Grant has a Ph.D. in physics from U.C. Berkeley and has worked at the level of senior research scientist in the fields of optical and laser remote sensing of the atmosphere and atmospheric sciences at SRI International, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and the NASA Langley Research Center. He is the author or coauthor of over 60 physics, instrument development, and atmospheric sciences articles in peer-reviewed journals, has edited two books of reprints, and contributed half a dozen chapters to other books.
He published the first paper linking diet to Alzheimer's disease and identifying the major dietary components that are risk and risk reduction factors. He has also studied the links between dietary sugars and heart disease and obesity, diet and breast, colon and prostate cancer, and UVB/vitamin D and cancer and autoimmune diseases. He recently retired from NASA and founded Sunlight, Nutrition and Health Research Center (SUNARC) (www.sunarc.org), where he will continue and extend his health research and educational efforts.
References
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