Friday, March 13, 2015

Can diet cure dementia?

Can diet cure dementia?

Excerpt from an article on yahoo blog:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/amy-r-beaudreault/can-dementia-be-prevented-through-nutrition_b_6847822.html

Amy R. Beaudreault author



"...Despite growing evidence supporting the positive role nutrition plays in dementia prevention, nutrition is rarely employed as a prevention strategy. A new study may change that. The linkages among nutrition and brain function are made clear in the results from a  first-ever randomized controlled trial of its kindled by Miia Kivipelto, MD, PhD published today in the Lancet.

The two-year research study measured the effects on brain function of an intervention -- which included nutritional guidance and management of metabolic risk factors -- for age-related dementia.Using the Neuropsychological Test Battery (NTB) test, intervention group scores for overall brain function were 25 percent higher. For executive functioning,  intervention group scores were 83 percent higher, and processing speed was 150 percent higher....

This includes studies on  vitamin B12, vitamin D, omega-3 fatty acids, and phytonutrients, such as those found in cocoa, berries, and nuts, some specifically looking at populations with dementia. Furthermore,  certain dietary patterns, such as the Mediterranean diet, may help prevent cognitive decline and dementia...

Let's consider a few additional facts: The global population is undergoing an extraordinary demographic shift. By the year 2050, the population of those older than 60 is forecasted to double from 841 million to 2 billion. Today, approximately 44 million worldwide live with dementia and by  2050 the estimate will reach 135 million (not to mention the costs-- $604 billion USD in 2010 and increasing rapidly). I'm scared, are you?"



copyright(c)2015
William Schaeffer



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