The risk of a disease can be reduced or even eliminated by avoiding the consumption of certain foods. So is the disease that is identical to the elderly is Alzheimer's. According to a study, foods that are full of saturated fat and sugar can increase the risk of Alzheimer.
In that study, a number of participants who ate saturated fat laden foods (such as meats) and foods with a high glikemi indexes (such as white rice and white bread) can cause elevated levels of a protein called beta-amyloid in the cerebrospinal fluid. Though beta-amyloid is the main component of the plaques that cause Alzheimer's disease emergence.
Conversely, participants who ate foods low in saturated fats (including fish and chicken) and reducing foods with low glikemi index (such as whole grains) can reduce levels of beta-amyloid in cerebrospinal fluid.
"A diet is a very important factor in determining the health of the brain," says researcher Suzanne Craft, professor of medicine from Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC
"The kind of food we eat and our diet specific adaptations over long periods tend to give a substantial effect on our brains, whether it protects or increases the risk of brain diseases such as Alzheimer's," he added.
To be sure, researchers recruited 47 adult participants with an average age of 60 years. Half of whom suffered from mild cognitive impairment, a condition in which a person begins to look declining cognitive abilities such as memory and language problems.
Randomized participants were asked to adopt a diet high in saturated fat with high glikemi indexed foods or diets low in saturated fat with foods low glikemi indexed for four weeks. Both groups are also known to consume the same amount of total calories. Not forgetting the researchers took samples of cerebrospinal fluid and the participants at the beginning of the end of the study.
Before the diet began, the participants who suffered from mild cognitive impairment known to have high levels of beta-amyloid form of LD (light-depleted) higher than participants whose cognitive abilities were normal.
Though in general levels of beta-amyloid-shaped LD in people who suffer from mild cognitive impairment known quite high. No wonder if they are genetically at high risk of developing Alzheimer's.
"Normally, beta-amyloid can be cleared from the brain. Way to 'stick' to the beta-amyloid is a protein called apolipoprotein E. beta-amyloid But if it does not 'stick' in the apolipoprotein E then it will be in the form of LD (light-depleted) which is less stable and tend to be toxic to the brain. Ultimately this can lead to diseases of the brain, "said Craft, as reported by LiveScience, Tuesday (06/18/2013).
Evidently, four weeks later participants with diets high in saturated fat appears to be rising levels of beta-amyloid his LD, otherwise in participants whose diets are low in saturated fat, levels of beta-amyloid his LD declined.
However, this study considered a small scale and only looked at the effect of this diet in a very short period, which is only one month. Researchers felt more research was needed to determine whether increased beta-amyloid in this study may actually cause Alzheimer's disease or not.
Researchers also can not be sure whether to change the diet can have a positive impact on people who have a genetic risk of Alzheimer's disease or hereditary.
"It seems that a diet high in saturated fat and high glikemi indexed foods can reduce levels of the hormone insulin in the brain. Whereas insulin plays a role in the clearance of beta-amyloid in the brain, which may contribute to lower risk of Alzheimer's," said Craft.
The study was recently published in the JAMA journal Neurology.