Aug 05 2009
What’s Good For Your Heart Is Good For Your Brain
The latest research on dementia gives new meaning to the phrase “food for thought.” A study released yesterday indicates that individuals with even borderline to moderately high cholesterol levels in their 40s have a much greater chance of developing dementia later in life.
Researchers tracked nearly 10,000 people for four decades, starting when the participants were between 40 and 45. After controlling for weight, hypertension and diabetes, researchers discovered a significant link between borderline-high cholesterol and dementia, according to the study.Participants who had high cholesterol (240 or more) had a 66 percent greater risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease later in life. People with borderline-high cholesterol (200-239) had a 25 percent spike in risk.
Although previous studies have linked heart and brain health, researchers said this study is the first to examine the association between borderline cholesterol levels and dementia. And although dementia does not typically strike until later in life, “it’s a disease of a lifetime,” said Rachel Whitmer, Ph.D., a research scientist at Kaiser Permanente and senior author of the study. “We need to think about it like we do for cardiovascular disease.”
Experts agree that a three-pronged approach of daily exercise, stress reduction and nutrition can naturally lower levels. A diet rich in olive oil, nuts, whole grains, fiber, fresh fruit, vegetables and a limited amount of red meat is best, according to the Mayo Clinic.
“Our study shows that even moderately high cholesterol levels in your 40s puts people at greater risk for Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia decades later,” said Whitmer. “Considering that nearly 100 million Americans have either high or borderline cholesterol levels, this is a disturbing finding. The good news here is that what is good for the heart is also good for the mind, and this is an early risk factor for dementia that can be modified and managed by lowering cholesterol through healthy lifestyle changes.”
The study appears in the journal Dementia & Geriatric Cognitive Disorders.
I wouldn’t rely on these “studies.” Who paid for them?
Not all unsaturated fats are good for the heart or brain. Coconut oil is saturated and it is good for both.
One of the most widely published reports on coconut oil was from Dr. Mary Newport as reported by the St. Petersburg Times on October 29, 2008. Dr. Newport’s husband was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s and was quickly deteriorating. She gave him Virgin Coconut Oil, and saw incredible improvement in his condition:
“The coconut oil he’d ingested seemed to “lift the fog.” He began taking coconut oil every day, and by the fifth day, there was a tremendous improvement. “He would face the day bubbly, more like his old self,” his wife said. More than five months later, his tremors have subsided, the visual disturbances that prevented him from reading have disappeared, and he has become more social and interested in those around him.”