It's estimated that as many as 5.1 million Americans may have Alzheimer's disease. An Alzheimer's diagnoses can be devastating to a patient, their friends, and their family members. While there is no cure for the disease, there are several foods that can significantly increase your Alzheimer's risk. By limiting these foods in your diet, you may be able to lower your risk of developing Alzheimer's in the first place.
Here are three foods that significantly increase your Alzheimer's risk:
Red meat is rich in iron, which your body needs to avoid anemia, chronic fatigue, and weak muscles. However, too much iron can end up causing damage from too many free radicals in the body. When iron builds up in the brain, it fills an area known as "gray matter." This is a part of the brain that shows one of the first signs of degeneration as we age. Too much iron in this area can speed up the aging process.
In a 2012 study, researchers found that people 70 years old or older who ate a diet heavy in carbohydrates were nearly four times more likely to develop Alzheimer's than those who ate a healthier diet. Carbohydrates found naturally in foods include sugars, starches, and fiber, but processed foods are often loaded with sugar. They raise glucose and insulin levels in the body, causing blood sugar to spike. A long-term diet heavy in carbohydrates can lead to insulin resistance over time. If your body starts to ignore insulin, your pancreas will compensate by producing even more. High insulin levels can end up damaging blood vessels in the brain, causing memory issues. In Alzheimer's patients, parts of the brain become resistant to insulin.
No, we aren't talking about how old a food is. AGEs stands for "advanced glycation end-products." These chemicals, found naturally in our bodies, are also present in some foods, and processing those foods--like high heat cooking or concentrating fats (think cheese)--increases the levels of AGEs. AGEs have been linked to diabetes and poor cardiovascular health. Scientists are now realizing they might also play a role in brain decline. In a 2014 study, researchers examined the role of AGEs in mice. They found that mice who were eating the least amount of AGEs experienced improved cognitive function. A similar study was conducted on human participants. When researchers studied the diets of 90 healthy people age 60 or older, they found that those who ate high-AGE diets showed decline over the course of the nine-month study. High-AGE foods include red meat, cheese, cream, butter, and processed grains.
1. Red Meat
Red meat is rich in iron, which your body needs to avoid anemia, chronic fatigue, and weak muscles. However, too much iron can end up causing damage from too many free radicals in the body. When iron builds up in the brain, it fills an area known as "gray matter." This is a part of the brain that shows one of the first signs of degeneration as we age. Too much iron in this area can speed up the aging process.
2. Refined Carbohydrates And Sugars
In a 2012 study, researchers found that people 70 years old or older who ate a diet heavy in carbohydrates were nearly four times more likely to develop Alzheimer's than those who ate a healthier diet. Carbohydrates found naturally in foods include sugars, starches, and fiber, but processed foods are often loaded with sugar. They raise glucose and insulin levels in the body, causing blood sugar to spike. A long-term diet heavy in carbohydrates can lead to insulin resistance over time. If your body starts to ignore insulin, your pancreas will compensate by producing even more. High insulin levels can end up damaging blood vessels in the brain, causing memory issues. In Alzheimer's patients, parts of the brain become resistant to insulin.
3. High-AGE Foods
No, we aren't talking about how old a food is. AGEs stands for "advanced glycation end-products." These chemicals, found naturally in our bodies, are also present in some foods, and processing those foods--like high heat cooking or concentrating fats (think cheese)--increases the levels of AGEs. AGEs have been linked to diabetes and poor cardiovascular health. Scientists are now realizing they might also play a role in brain decline. In a 2014 study, researchers examined the role of AGEs in mice. They found that mice who were eating the least amount of AGEs experienced improved cognitive function. A similar study was conducted on human participants. When researchers studied the diets of 90 healthy people age 60 or older, they found that those who ate high-AGE diets showed decline over the course of the nine-month study. High-AGE foods include red meat, cheese, cream, butter, and processed grains.
