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When you take good care of your heart, you may be taking good care of your brain as well, a growing body of research is now finding.
Many recently published studies indicate that the same lifestyle measures that guard against heart attacks, notably regular exercise and a fiber-rich, low-fat diet akin to the Pritikin Program, may help prevent Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia as well.
“It’s great news. There really appears to be a magic combination – daily exercise and a Pritikin-style diet full of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and other healthful foods – that produces immense benefits for both body and brain,” asserts Dr. William McCarthy, UCLA School of Public Health.
The need for preventive measures against dementia, an incurable disease, is vital. Nearly 18 million people worldwide suffer from dementia. By 2025, the number is predicted to rise to 34 million, with more than 70% of victims coming from developed countries like the U.S. The most common cause of dementia is Alzheimer’s disease,
Here are key research findings linking heart-healthy lifestyles with brain health:
Lowering Cholesterol Levels May Prevent Alzheimer's Disease
In the November 2005 issue of Nature Cell Biology, scientists from the University of Heidelberg, Germany, showed that higher cholesterol levels are linked with higher levels of a protein called amyloid-beta (AB). Accumulation of this protein, numerous studies have found, is a key characteristic of Alzheimer’s disease. Cutting cholesterol levels through a low-fat, fiber-rich diet could stave off not only heart disease and stroke but also prevent Alzheimer’s Disease, the researchers concluded.
Eating Seafood May Prevent Alzheimer's Disease
Several studies have found that seafood benefits the heart. Now scientists are learning that eating fish may help keep the brain in good shape, too.
In a six-year study involving more than 6,000 Chicago residents ages 65 and over, scientists found that those eating seafood at least once a week experienced markedly slower declines in mental function than non-fish-eating peers. People eating two or more servings of seafood weekly staved off mental deterioration even longer, the equivalent of “being three or four years younger in age,” reported the authors, from Rush University Medical Center in Chicago.(1)
Weight Management May Prevent Alzheimer's Disease
Obesity raises the risk of many illnesses, including heart disease, high blood pressure, and type 2 diabetes. New studies show it may also increase the risk of dementia in later life.
In a newly announced investigation that followed nearly 1,500 middle-age men and women for 21 years – till they had reached ages 65 to 79 – researchers from the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden found that those who were overweight or obese at midlife were far more likely to suffer from dementia and Alzheimer’s disease in their senior years.(2)
Recently published research following 290 women born between 1908 and 1922 arrived at similar conclusions. Between 1968 and 1992, all of the women had four follow-up examinations assessing their health, lifestyle, and body compositions. In the final exam, they also received CT scans measuring any loss of brain tissue.
The scientists found that women who were overweight or obese throughout life were significantly more likely to lose brain tissue in the temporal lobe, the region vital to skills like language and memory.(3)
Regular Physical Exercise May Prevent Alzheimer's Disease
New research is finding that regular physical activity, long heralded as good for the heart, is good for the mind as well.
One recent study tracked the daily walking distances of more than 2,200 men ages 71 to 93 years, starting in 1991. In 1996 and again in 1999, scientists tested them for signs of dementia.
Over the eight-year period, men who walked less than one quarter of a mile each day were 80% more likely to suffer dementia than men whose steps added up to at least two miles daily, reported scientists from the University of Virginia Health Systems.(4)
In another study, from Harvard School of Public Health, researchers followed the daily physical activity of more than 18,000 women ages 70 to 81 for nearly 15 years and twice assessed cognitive function. They found that higher levels of activity were associated with higher levels of learning and memory.
“Long-term regular physical activity, including walking, is associated with significant cognitive function and less cognitive decline in older women,” concluded the authors. What was most striking, they observed, was that the most active women were as mentally sharp as women several years younger.(5)
Quitting Smoking May Prevent Alzheimer's Disease
As part of a large British health study that has been following nearly 2,000 people since their birth in 1946, scientists found that a lifetime of smoking hinders brain power.
Psychology tests performed on the men and women at ages 15, 36, 43, and 53 found that speed of thinking and memory skills declined most in those smoking more than 20 cigarettes daily.(6)
The good news: quitting the habit was linked to an improvement in brain function.
Bottom Line:
“No one wants to suffer with Alzheimer’s and other dementias. If heart-healthy habits can help keep the brain sharp, well, that’s even more motivation to embrace a heart-healthy lifestyle like the Pritikin Program. Clear arteries and a clear mind – that’s how we all want to spend our golden years,” concludes Jeffrey Novick, MS, RD, LV/N, Director of Nutrition at the Pritikin Longevity Center & Spa in Aventura, Florida.
1. Archives of Neurology, 2005; 62: 1
2. Archives of Neurology, 2005; 62: 1556
3. Neurology, 2004; 63: 1876
4. JAMA, 2004; 292:1447
5. JAMA, 2004; 292: 1454
6. American Journal of Public Health, 2003; 93: 994
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