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According to the most recent data from the Alzheimer’s Association:
The number of Americans living with Alzheimer’s disease is growing — and growing fast. An estimated 5.5 million Americans of all ages have Alzheimer’s disease.
Of the estimated 5.5 million Americans living with Alzheimer’s dementia in 2017, an estimated 5.3 million are age 65 and older and approximately 200,000 individuals are under age 65 and have younger-onset Alzheimer’s.
- One in 10 people age 65 and older (10 percent) has Alzheimer’s dementia.
- Almost two-thirds of Americans with Alzheimer’s are women.
- African-Americans are about twice as likely to have Alzheimer’s or other dementias as older whites.
- Hispanics are about one and one-half times as likely to have Alzheimer’s or other dementias as older whites.
Because of the increasing number of people age 65 and older in the United States, particularly the oldest-old, the number of new cases of Alzheimer’s and other dementias is projected to soar. Today, someone in the United States develops Alzheimer’s dementia every 66 seconds. By mid-century, someone in the United States will develop the disease every 33 seconds.
Green leafy vegetables (like spinach and salad greens): At least six servings a week
Other vegetables: At least once a day
Nuts: Five servings a week
Berries: Two or more servings a week
Beans: At least three servings a week
Whole grains: Three or more servings a day
Fish: Once a week
Poultry (like Turkey or chicken): Two times a week
Olive oil: Use it as your main cooking oil
Wine: One glass a day
Red meat: Less than four servings a week
Butter and margarine: Less than one tablespoon daily
Cheese: Less than one serving a week
Pastries and sweets: Less than five servings a week
Fried or fast food: Less than one serving a week
It can be daunting to change your diet. Habits die hard, but change is possible.
However, the MIND diet is very accommodating in that even if you don’t adhere to the diet strictly you will still benefit in terms of brain health. The foods chosen are great for both the brain and the heart. Besides Alzheimer’s disease, the second largest kind of dementia is vascular dementia. There is reason to believe that the same types of food that lower blood pressure, reduce cholesterol, and prevent or manage diabetes may delay Alzheimer’s and vascular dementia.
Vascular dementia is caused by a series of mini-strokes that most people aren’t even aware of which damage parts of the brain fed by tiny blood vessels. It is well-known that hardening of the arteries, or atherosclerosis, is a risk factor for these strokes. Research has recently found “that the risk of Alzheimer’s is not only tied to these same risk factors but if you treat them, you can actually make a difference,” says Dr. Michael Greger, physician and founder of NutritionFacts.org. Research shows that people with Alzheimer’s who were treated for high cholesterol or blood pressure fared better. Greger says that “It didn’t stop the disease; it didn’t reverse the disease, but it slowed the progression.”
As stated in NutritionFacts.org, eating a varied diet takes advantage of foods that may boost different parts of the brain. It is incredible to see how food makes a direct impact on brain function as follows:
Improve executive function, speed of perception, overall cognition, and fact-based memory -> total vegetable intake is most important
Autobiographical memory and visual-spatial skills -> total fruit intake is key
Carrots may benefit one area of the brain, and mushrooms help with another domain.
In conclusion, it is clear that eating healthy foods on the MIND diet consistently for long periods of time provides the best protection for a healthy brain. While the nutrition piece of the brain healthy lifestyle is critically important, it still must be integrated with all of the other parts: physical exercise, mental stimulation, nutrition, socialization, sleep, stress reduction. The synergy of a brain-healthy lifestyle is much stronger than the sum of its parts.
