Alzheimer’s Disease News, Articles & Information

Both heavy smoking and heavy drinking lead to the development of Alzheimer’s disease at an earlier age according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the Academy of Neurology held in Chicago between the 12th and 19th of April.

The study involved 938 people aged 60 or older who had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. The researchers looked at three potential risk factors: heavy cigarette use, heavy alcohol consumption and the presence of a particular allele of the ApoE gene which is known to increase the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.

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A recent study, published in the American Journal of Epidemiology in January of this year, has found that regular wine consumption may reduce the risk of women developing dementias such as Alzheimer’s disease.

The Swedish study involved 1,458 women initially aged between 38 and 60. The participants were subjected to a physical examination and completed questionnaires on social and lifestyle factors including alcohol use, cigarette use, and education levels. The study began in 1968-1969 and follow up studies were conducted in 1975, 1980-1981, 1992-1993, and at the end of the study in 2002.

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Scientists at the University of North Dakota have found that as little as one cup of coffee a day might be enough to protect the brain from Alzheimer’s disease by strengthening the blood-brain barrier (BBB).

In the study, published in the Journal of Neuroinflammation, researchers used New Zealand white rabbits to examine the effects of a high cholesterol diet and/or high levels of caffeine consumption on the blood-brain barrier.

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A new study has found that some of the most popular fruits, including bananas, apples, and oranges all contain antioxidants that reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia.

Researchers at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York tested phenolic phytochemicals derived from bananas, oranges, and apples on neuron cells. The researchers found that all three of the fruits protected the neuron cells from oxidative stress and prevented neurotoxicity. Apples were found to have the highest levels of beneficial antioxidants.

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While there are some Alzheimer’s risk factors, such as age and a family history of Alzheimer’s disease that cannot be changed, there are many things you can do to reduce your chances of getting the disease. Here are seven easy ways to slow down or prevent Alzheimer’s disease.

#1 Eat fish at least twice a week or take a fish or flax oil supplement

Omega-3, found in oily fish such as salmon, tuna, and mackerel as well as flax oil and spinach, has been found to prevent and slow the build up of plaques in the brain. In a study of mice, those fed diets high in DHA (a type of omega-3) had a 40% lower incidence of brain plaques and up to 70% less amyloid protein in their brains (a precursor to plaques).

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Omega 3 Fatty Acids found in fish oil may slow or prevent Alzheimer’s disease according to a recent study at the University of California (UCLA) at Los Angeles.

The study, which was published in the December 26 edition of the Journal of Neuroscience found that one of the omega-3 fatty acids known as docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) stimulates the production of a protein called LR11. This protein prevents the build up of the protein beta amyloid, which is toxic to brain cells and is found in the brains of Alzheimer’s sufferers.

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