Why a Heart-Healthy Low-Carb Diet Reduces Your Risk of Alzheimer’s Disease

“What was her name…?”

“Where are those darn keys, again…”

“Can’t remember what I had for lunch yesterday…”

If you’re having trouble recalling ‘little things’ like these, then you may be wondering whether you’re starting to develop age-related memory problems.

And one disease comes to mind that nearly makes your heart hop into your mouth: Alzheimer’s.

Your mother or father has it, one or both of their parents had it, or some other relative has it, and you’re thinking there’s a good chance you’ll get it, too.

This makes you feel powerless. Because isn’t Alzheimer’s all about genetics and aging? And there’s nothing much you can do to prevent the inevitable, is there?

So how can something so simple like a diet help?

Misconceptions like these are common, that memory loss is a natural part of aging, and there’s not much we can do to prevent declining brain function as we age. So if that’s what you’re thinking, you’re definitely not alone in that.

Wait, losing your memory isn’t a natural part of aging?

This is quite understandably the number one myth there is about Alzheimer’s disease.

But no.

While our chances of developing memory problems do increase as we get older, especially if there’s also genetics involved, it isn’t an inevitable part of aging.

For example, the rates of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia are highest in some countries and lowest in others. If the main reason we develop memory problems is simply because we’re aging, then there would be relatively consistent rates of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia regardless of the geographic location in which people live.

In addition, while the population is definitely aging in the United States, the rate of dementia appears to be decreasing, according to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2016. So this also argues against the idea that losing your memory is just a natural part of aging, because if that were true, this study should have found the rate of dementia increasing, not decreasing.

So something else must be going on as we age that contributes to our increasing risk of developing memory problems.

And fortunately, scientists are learning more and more about what that ‘something’ is.

Why ‘good for the heart’ also means ‘good for the brain’

What scientists have discovered is that there definitely seems to be a link between heart health and brain health.

People with cardiovascular disease or risk factors for cardiovascular disease also have a higher chance of developing brain diseases like Alzheimer’s.

One of the reasons for that seems to be that cardiovascular risk is often tied to increased inflammation and oxidative stress in the body, and this is bad for the brain, as well.

Oxidative stress is caused by there being more reactive oxygen chemical molecules in the body than there are antioxidants to neutralize them—which is why we hear so often about the importance of eating foods like berries and kale, which are high in antioxidants.

High levels of inflammation and oxidative stress in the brain damages brain cells and promotes the plaque formation that leads to Alzheimer’s disease.

So what damages the heart seems also to damage the brain.

And that’s why one of the best ways to protect the brain is through a lifestyle that we already know protects the heart: a lifestyle that includes a heart-healthy diet and exercise.

MIND your diet: Clinical protection against Alzheimer’s

One of the best diets for heart health, which one review suggests is also good for the brain, is the Mediterranean diet.

Another diet, also good for the heart, is the DASH diet, which has been clinically proven to lower high blood pressure.

But brain experts then took it up a notch by combining aspects of BOTH the Mediterranean diet AND the DASH diet to develop the MIND diet. (MIND stands for “Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay.”)

Then, in a preliminary study on the effectiveness of this diet, they tested it against both the Mediterranean diet and DASH diet among 923 seniors living in retirement communities and public housing in Chicago.

What they found was that when the diets were followed strictly, both the MIND diet and Mediterranean diet were associated with a >50% reduction in Alzheimer’s Disease, and the DASH diet, with 39%.

However, when NOT followed so strictly, only the MIND diet was associated with a significant 35% reduction in Alzheimer’s Disease. The other two diets did not seem to make a difference if they were not followed ‘to a T’.

But this was a preliminary study only, and firm conclusions can’t be drawn. A more robust 3-year study comparing the effects of different dietary approaches on Alzheimer’s disease was begun in 2017, and results from that study should be forthcoming soon.

For now, though, the best diet for brain protectiveness, based on the evidence we have so far, seems to be the MIND diet.

So how do you eat the MIND diet?

The MIND diet is said to be easier to follow than the Mediterranean diet, according to Morris, the lead pioneer of the diet, because the latter “calls for daily consumption of fish and three to four daily servings of each of fruits and vegetables,” if followed strictly.

The MIND diet consists of 10 do’s and 5 don’ts.

The 10 do’s are:

1. Green, leafy vegetables: minimum 6 servings per week
2. Other vegetables (preferably non-starchy): minimum once a day
3. Berries: minimum twice a week.
4. Nuts: minimum 5 servings per week.
5. Olive oil: Use as your main cooking oil.
6. Whole grains: minimum 3 servings per day.
7. Fish (preferably fatty fish): minimum once a week.
8. Beans: minimum 4 times per week.
9. Poultry (not fried): minimum twice a week.
10. Wine (preferably red): Up to one glass a day.

The 5 don’ts are:

1. Butter and margarine: maximum 1 tablespoon a day.
2. Cheese: maximum once per week.
3. Red meat (beef, pork, lamb): maximum 3 servings each week.
4. Fried food: maximum once per week.
5. Pastries and sweets: maximum 4 times a week.

So, not a foregone conclusion, after all

It’s quite normal to think that Alzheimer’s disease occurs as a natural consequence of aging and become increasingly concerned about it as you age, especially if you’re related to someone who has or has had it.

And while genetics may play a part, research is finding that there’s a lot one can do to protect the brain from losing its marbles before it’s too late.

Adopting a heart-healthy diet is an important one.

There are others, too, of course, such as exercising and becoming a lifelong learner, to keep the brain fit and active.

But one of the easiest ways to start adopting a brain-protective lifestyle, which doubles nicely, also, as a heart-protective lifestyle, is making small changes to your diet, one little bit at a time.

Take any single component of the MIND diet, and get started today.

Then, try to MIND your diet on a regular basis.

Soon, one change will lead to another. You’ll be shedding pounds, feeling more energized, and you may even start exercising more regularly, if you haven’t already.

And one day, you may discover that you do remember that person’s name, you do remember where you left your keys last, and you do remember what you had for lunch yesterday.