CAUSES OF ALZHEIMERS

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CAUSES OF ALZHEIMERS, DIET HELPS REDUCE RISK

The dominant view of Alzheimer’s is that deposits of beta-amyloid accumulate in the brain, and destroy memory nerve cells.  It is the result of normal processes out of balance and going wrong.

Excess nerve cells and nerve fibers are pruned from the brain of fetuses and become reactivated in the adult brain.  This  causes  the death of normal nerve cells.  This activation is very necessary for fetal brain development.

The developing fetus makes twice the number of nerve cells that it needs.   We make too many and then we prune back so me make the right set of connections.  The brain makes and breaks connections all the time. 

The pruning is sparked by another APP fragment called N-APP that triggers an excess number of nerve cells and nerve fibers.   APP’a pathway is unknown and may be quite novel.  These neurons each make hundreds of nerve fibers that try to connect with other cells.  Those cells and nerve fibers that make the connections are the survivors. 

Beta-amyloid is a fragment of amyloid precursor proteins (APP).   Researchers are trying to block this buildup of beta amyloid plaques in the brain.   Yet some people accumulate a lot of this beta-amyloid without having any memory loss.  

No one knows what triggers the reappearance of the unwanted death of prenatal cells in the adult brain.   Other researchers recently found a protein called netrin-1 that regulates the production of beta amyloid that accumulates plaques in the brain.  

MEDITERRANEAN DIET HELPS PREVENT ALZHEIMERS.

It seems the Mediterranean diet helps prevent Alzheimer’s as it prevents heart disease.  People who eat fish, olive oil, vegetables, and other foods in Mediterranean diet reduce their risks of memory loss by 28% and have a 48 % less chance of Alzheimer’s.  If you do get Alzheimer’s, the disease occurs 4 years later.

The Mediterranean diet menu includes: pasta, rice, polenta, whole grain bread, spinach, eggplant, tomatoes, broccoli, peppers, garlic, olives, avocados, grapes, almonds, walnuts, peanuts, lentil, salmon shellfish, yogurt, and a little red wine.

We know Alzheimer changes occur in the brain decades before memory loss occurs.   So you might want to start eating more vegetables, legumes and fish and cut down on meat, dairy products, and high fat foods.  Get started on your red wine and olives now.

 Sources: Archives of Neurology, Feb 2009, Scarmeas,  Columbia Univ. Tessler, Journal Nature, Feb. 2009

                  Bredesen, Journal Cell Death, Feb 2009/   Mayo Clinic

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