Another good excuse for dark chocolate!

World Alzheimer's Day

by Jean Carper

How are you celebrating World Alzheimer's Day today? Of course, it's hardly a celebration, since the idea is to focus on the awful fact that Alzheimer's is about to swamp us with the worst epidemic the world has ever seen--115 million cases, including 13.5 million Americans (up from 5.1 million today) by 2050, and the collapse of our health care system, according to the Alzheimer's Association, one of the organizers of this Day, on September 21.

One way to try to hold back this catastrophe, brought on by aging baby boomers, is spending more on research. The National Institutes of Health now antes up a paltry $527 million a year to study Alzheimer's, compared to $6.1 billion for cancer, $3 billion for HIV/AIDS, and $1.9 billion for heart disease. NIH should up Alzheimer's research money to at least $2 billion annually, say experts.

In the meantime, don't expect a cure anytime soon. The last big test of a miracle drug, costing hundreds of millions of dollars, actually made Alzheimer's worse.

After I accidentally discovered I carry a major gene (ApoE4) that triples my risk of developing Alzheimer's, I decided to find out everything I could do to delay or prevent the onset of the symptoms of memory loss and dementia. I read thousands of scientific papers and interviewed dozens of Alzheimer's researchers who were eager to tell me.

Scientists now know Alzheimer's is not a sudden brain catastrophe. Like heart disease and cancer, it is a chronic disease of aging that progresses slowly over 10 or more years, finally releasing its symptoms. That means you have years in which to fight off the disease, and one way to do it is by eating the right stuff.

Here are five things you want on and off your menu to help keep Alzheimer's out of your future.

Say yes to:

Fish: Around the world, people who eat fish every day are 40 percent less likely to develop dementia, according to a recent large study. Best: fatty fish, such as salmon and sardines. Such omega-3 fish fat improves the functioning of brain cells.

Curry: There's at least one likely reason why the people of India have one of the lowest rates of Alzheimer's— about one fourth the rate found in parts of Pennsylvania, for example. Curry is a staple in India, and it contains curcumin, found in the spice turmeric, which in animals blocks deposits of the toxic gunk beta amyloid, believed to be a cause of Alzheimer's.

Coffee and tea: Surprisingly, heavy coffee drinkers (three to five cups a day) in one study were 65 percent less apt to develop Alzheimer's. Some experts credit the caffeine and antioxidants in coffee. Both black and green tea are rich in chemicals that protect brain cells from damage.

Juices: Having a glass of any type of fruit or vegetable juice more than three times a week reduced the risk of Alzheimer's by 76 percent in a study at Vanderbilt University. Particularly beneficial to the brain, according to other research: apple juice, pomegranate juice and wild blueberry juice.

Fruits and vegetables: Scarfing up all kinds of fruits and vegetables is a potent way to keep your aging memory sharp. Eating veggies only three times a week cut memory decline 40 percent in a major study. Highest in brain-protecting antioxidants: raspberries, raisins, blueberries, artichokes, cranberries, dried plums (prunes), blackberries, garlic.

Say no to:

Meat: People who eat meat are 20 percent more likely than nonmeat eaters to develop dementia, says a recent worldwide study. Worst: processed bacon, hot dogs and cold cuts, which contain nitrites that can lead to nitrosamines that some scientists believe help induce Alzheimer's.

Sugar: Animals fed diets with a lot of sugar get fat, have high cholesterol and ineffectual insulin and are slow to learn. Most alarming, high sugar causes brain damage from increased deposits of beta amyloid, a major cause of Alzheimer's. Worst: high fructose corn syrup, common in processed foods, including soft drinks.

Bad fats: Two villains are saturated animal fats and trans fats in processed foods. Animals fed diets of 10 percent saturated fat get dumb and dumber. According to a major study, older people who ate the most saturated fats doubled their odds of Alzheimer's; those who ate the most trans fats quadrupled Alzheimer's risk.

Extra calories: A high-calorie diet can lead to obesity, high blood pressure, fat around the middle and diabetes, upping Alzheimer's risk. Studies suggest that restricting calories reduces brain shrinkage and deposits of toxic brain proteins, both hallmarks of Alzheimer's.

Excessive alcohol: One drink a day, especially red wine, may help preserve memory. But "heavy drinking" for men and women—more than two drinks a day—doubled dementia odds, studies show. A monthly alcohol binge tripled dementia risk and passing out from alcohol at least twice in a year hiked dementia odds 10 times. Excessive alcohol is an unrecognized cause of much dementia, say experts.

Right now, your best bet for escaping Alzheimer's is to save yourself. And prominent Alzheimer's researchers have already figured out countless ways to do it. Here are 10 things they will be doing on World Alzheimer's Day--and do every day--and say you should do, too, to keep Alzheimer's out of your future.

1. Take a hike: Nothing beats walking for boosting memory and flooding your brain with chemicals that serve as "Miracle-Gro" to create bigger neurons. Take a brisk 30-minute walk, or three 10-minute sessions on a treadmill. A "nature" walk through a park also improves memory.

2. Eat an apple or two: Apples stimulate production of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, which is what the Alzheimer's drug Aricept also does, say University of Massachusetts researchers. You get the same benefits from two eight-ounce glasses of apple juice.

3. Drink a few cups of coffee: "I try to drink five cups of coffee a day," says Gary Arendash at the Florida Alzheimer's Disease Research Center. He says the caffeine blocks build up of Alzheimer's brain toxins. In one study, drinking three to five cups of coffee a day cut Alzheimer's risk 65 percent.

4. Treat yourself to a little dark chocolate: It can boost blood circulation in your brain, lower blood pressure and inhibit stroke damage, all important in preventing Alzheimer's and other dementias. Be sure cocoa content is at least 70 percent. Even a half ounce of rich dark chocolate a day may be enough.

5. Surf the internet for an hour: Yes, a good Google search can stimulate an older brain and possibly improve thinking and memory. So can playing video games, and doing certain online brain games. For some that have been scientifically tested, check out www.positscience.com.

6. Do something new: Your brain cells are stimulated when you think of or do anything new. People who do novel mental activities reduce their risk of cognitive decline. Important: you must make a mental effort; breezing through crossword puzzles doesn't count.

7. Eat a cup of berries: If you want to make forgetful old lab animals "younger and smarter," just feed them blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries or cranberries, say Tufts University researchers. How much? At least a cup a day.

8. Take a multivitamin: It can slow brain aging, especially if it includes high antioxidants, such as C, E and alpha lipoic acid. Be sure to get 500 mcg B12, 800 mcg folic acid, 20 mg B6 a day--doses found to reduce brain shrinkage up to 50 percent in people with mild memory problems.

9. Have a Curry Meal: A constituent of curry spices known as curcumin blocks Alzheimer's-like brain damage and boosts memory in animal and lab tests. India, where curry is a staple, has a very low rate of Alzheimer's.

10. Get together with friends and family: Make it a point to yak it up today, the larger your circle of friends and family, the better. Extroverts with high "social engagement" have less cognitive failure as they age. Being married or having a significant other dramatically cuts your odds of developing Alzheimer's.

If we all do everything we can to save our own brains from Alzheimer's, we may one day actually be celebrating World Alzheimer's Day as a victory over this human tragedy.

Jean Carper is the author of "100 Simple ThingsYou Can Do To Prevent Alzheimer's and Age-Related Memory Loss." She has posted more than 200 scientific references to studies on slowing and preventing Alzheimer's on her blog www.jeancarper.com.