Alzheimer's Disease is a frightening disease that affects about five-and-a-half million Americans. Although some memory loss is expected with increasing age, stress and inactivity, sever memory loss is a cause of concern. Alzheimer's affects the parts of the brain that are associated with thinking, memory and behavior. Alzheimer's disease is caused by an excessive build-up of amyloid and tau proteins in the brain. Symptoms include, but are not limited to, memory loss, repeatedly misplacing things, difficulty with familiar tasks, peculiar behavior and personality changes, altered judgment, language problems, and difficulty with spatial relationships of objects. The risk factors of Alzheimer's disease include age, family history, genetics, high blood pressure and high LDL cholesterol.
The good news is that doctors, scientists, and nutritionists are finding more and more ways to try to protect yourself and your loved ones from Alzheimer's disease. One way is to maintain mental activity through education and thought-provoking activities (scrabble, logic-based card games, discussions, etc.) and physical activity. In addition, there is some evidence that Alzheimer's can be slowed by taking 2,000 IU of Vitamin E daily, along with 120 to 240 mg of Ginkgo biloba and 1,500 mg of acetyl-L-carnitine. A diet that includes more fish and less animal fat has been shown to decrease the risk of Alzheimer's disease as well, so break out those wild salmon filets you've been waiting to grill. It's time to treat your palate to something delightful and fight a fatal disease at the same time.
Sources: The Cleveland Clinic © 1995-2012. Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia Overview. http://my.clevelandclinic.org/. The Vitamin Shoppe © 2012. Alzheimer’s Disease. http://www.vitaminshoppe.com/
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