Guest guest Posted November 30, 2003 Report Share Posted November 30, 2003 Looks like a typical medical study that belittles supplements, nothing new there.... , Misty <misty3@p...> wrote: > Vegetables ward off Alzheimer's > http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/2772499.stm > > A healthy diet may help reduce Alzheimer's risk > > Eating a diet rich in vegetables may be one way to reduce the risk of > developing Alzheimer's disease, research suggests. > US scientists found that a diet high in unsaturated, unhydrogenated fats - > found in vegetables and some oils - may help lower risk. > > However, a separate study found antioxidant vitamins - widely touted as good > for general health - offer no such protective effect against Alzheimer's. > > In the first study, scientists from Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical > Center in Chicago, examined 815 people aged 65 and older over a four year > period. > > There are studies to suggest that a diet high in unsaturated fat and low in > saturated fat may raise levels of good cholesterol and lower levels of bad > cholesterol in the blood > > > > Dr Martha Clare Morris > > At the start of the study none of the volunteers had Alzheimer's, but by > its end 131 had developed symptoms. > > The researchers found that the risk of developing the disease was highest > among those who consumed the highest levels of saturated fat - found in meat > and dairy products. > > People who consumed a lot of saturated fat were 2.3 times more likely to > develop symptoms than those whose diet was low in these fats. > > Conversely, people whose diet contained high levels of unsaturated fat were > up to 80% less likely to develop Alzheimer's disease than those who consumed > low levels of unsaturated fats. > > Lead researcher Dr Martha Clare Morris told BBC NewsOnline more research was > needed to confirm the findings. > > But she said: " There are studies to suggest that a diet high in unsaturated > fat and low in saturated fat may raise levels of good cholesterol and lower > levels of bad cholesterol in the blood. " > > It is thought that low-density lipoprotein, or bad, cholesterol may play a > role in the formation of the amyloid plaques found in the brain of > Alzheimer's patients. > > Dr Morris said people should consider a switch to such a diet - if only > because of abundant evidence that it helped to reduce the risk of heart > disease. > > Vitamins > > In a second study researchers at Columbia University in New York concluded > that carotenes and vitamins C and E obtained from diet or through > supplements are not associated with a decreased risk of Alzheimer's. > > It was suspected that these antioxidant vitamins may have a protective > effect because they mimimise the damage to the body's tissues caused by > charged particles known as free radicals. > > Some suspect that Alzheimer's is caused in part by damage to brain cells > caused by free radicals. > > The Columbia researchers examined 980 people, of which 242 developed > Alzheimer's symptoms during the four year study. > > There was no evidence that those people who consumed carotenes or vitamins A > and E were any less likely to develop the disease. > > Both studies were published in the journal Archives of Neurology. > > See also: > > > 26 Jun 02 | Health > Diet 'could reduce Alzheimer's risk' > > 20 Jul 02 | Health > Cholesterol central to brain disease > > 21 Nov 01 | Health > Curry 'may slow Alzheimer's' > > 07 Aug 02 | Health > Brain exercise wards off Alzheimer's > > 12 Jul 00 | Health > High fat diet link to Alzheimer's > > 20 Dec 00 | A-B > Alzheimer's disease > > Internet links: > > > Alzheimer's Society > Alzheimer's Research Trust > Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center > Archives of Neurology > > The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites > > Top Health stories now: > > > Heart risk link to big families > > Back pain drug 'may aid diabetics' > > Congo Ebola outbreak confirmed > > Vegetables ward off Alzheimer's Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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