Elderly people with untreated poor vision are significantly more likely to suffer from Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia than their clear-sighted counterparts, according to a study published online February 18 by the American Journal of Epidemiology. What’s more, the study suggests that vision problems may be a contributing factor in the development of dementia, rather than a symptom of it.

When elderly people with poor vision went to an ophthalmologist even once, their risk of dementia was reduced by 64 percent, the study found. People who had undergone eye procedures to treat glaucoma and correct cataracts were also less likely to develop dementia.

“Visual problems can have serious consequences and are very common among the elderly, but many of them are not seeking treatment,” said University of Michigan researcher Mary Rogers, the study’s lead author, in a prepared statement.

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Persons with higher levels of leptin, a protein hormone produced by fat cells and involved in the regulation of appetite, may have an associated reduced incidence of Alzheimer disease and dementia, according to a study in the December 16 issue of JAMA.

Previous studies have shown that overweight and obesity in mid-life are associated with poorer cognitive function in the general population and an increased risk of dementia. There has been evidence that leptin exerts additional functions on the brain outside the hypothalamus (a region of the brain that controls body temperature, hunger, and thirst), according to background information in the article.

The researchers found that higher leptin levels were associated with a lower incidence of  dementia and AD. The incidence of dementia decreased gradually across increasing levels of leptin: a person with a baseline leptin level in the lowest quartile group had a 25 percent risk of developing AD after 12 years of follow-up, whereas the corresponding risk for a person in the top quartile group was only 6 percent.

“These findings are consistent with recent experimental data indicating that leptin improves memory function in animals through direct effects on the hippocampus and strengthens the evidence that leptin is a hormone with a broad set of actions in the central nervous system. Due to the exploratory character of the present analyses, we did not adjust for multiple comparisons and acknowledge that our findings require confirmation in independent samples,” the authors write.

“If our findings are confirmed by others, leptin levels in older adults may serve as one of several possible biomarkers for healthy brain aging and, more importantly, may open new pathways for possible preventive and therapeutic intervention. Further exploration of the molecular and cellular basis for the observed association may expand our understanding of the pathophysiology underlying brain aging and the development of AD.”
(JAMA 2009;302[23]:2565-2572. )

There’s more good news on the fish front: A large study conducted in developing countries found that a diet rich in fish may lower the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. And the more fish people ate, the less likely they were to develop the serious memory loss of dementia. The study adds to a growing body of evidence that a fish-rich diet may offer benefits for brain health.

Past research has suggested that eating fish may help to ward off dementia, but most of those studies were carried out in the United States other developed countries. Studies of people living in Italy, France and Spain who eat a traditional Mediterranean diet rich in fish as well as fruits and vegetables, for example, have shown that the diet may have brain-protective effects.

The findings are consistent with earlier reports that suggest that eating oily fish like tuna, salmon, mackerel, sardines and anchovies may help to keep the mind and memory sharp. Eating fish may also help to ease the agitation and depression of Alzheimers, other research shows.

Fish oils contain omega-3 fatty acids like EPA and DHA, which are known to be good for cardiovascular health. They also may help protect the brain against strokes and memory loss. DHA, or docosahexaenoic acid, and EPA, or eicosapentaenoic acid, are both thought to have disease-fighting properties.

In addition to fish, DHA and omega-3 dietary supplement pills are also widely available in pharmacies and health-food stores. Other foods high in these “good” fats include almonds, walnuts and many other types of nuts, as well as canola, walnut, soybean and flaxseed oils. Because many of these foods are a rich source of calories, however, it is best to eat them in place of, rather than in addition to, other foods.

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A large, 5-year study showed that the people in their 70s who were the most active and adhered the best to a Mediterranean-style diet were 61–67 percent less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease compared with the least active and least Mediterranean-minded of the group.

Exercise
The most active in the study group got about an hour and a half of exercise weekly. That’s just a few 30-minute walks a week — a pretty manageable commitment. Better yet, aim to walk 30 minutes every day.

Diet
People with the lowest dementia risk ate the highest amounts of fruit, veggies, legumes, and fish, but less meat and dairy products. Monounsaturated fats, like olive oil, also accounted for more of their fat intake than saturated fats. All very typical ratios in a Mediterranean-style diet that doctors and health experts alike recommend for all sorts of reasons. These nutrient-dense, healthy-fat-focused foods could help protect brains against disease and cognitive decline and help protect the body from lots of other bad things, too.

Australian scientists have confirmed what many chocoholics already know, that “comfort food” can reduce stress.

Eating foods rich in fat and sugar can alter the chemical composition of the brain and reduce anxiety, says Professor of Pharmacology Margaret Morris.

Prof Morris, from the University of NSW’s School of Medical Sciences, conducted a study of rats which showed the effects of past trauma could be erased through “unlimited access to yummy food”.

“Implementing that diet reversed their anxiety … it took an animal back to the non-stressed state,” Prof Morris told AAP.

“We really don’t know why that happens, but there seems to be a biochemical link.”

The research started with different groups of baby rats – one group grew up with normal contact with their mothers, while the other group had lengthy periods of separation.

Rats with a more traumatic early life were found to have higher levels of stress hormones and fewer steroid receptors in the part of the brain which controls behavior.

The signals for “anxiety and depression” eventually disappeared among those rats who were later switched to the all-you-can-eat junk food diet.

“The control group had no effect from the diet really, but the stressed animals had a deficit … which was restored by the diet.”

“(The) food seems to affect neurogenesis similar to the way anti-depressants promote nerve growth in the brain.”

Prof Morris cautioned while the results were not immediately transferable to people, it did show support “the therapeutic value of comfort food” and hint at explanations for other patterns of human behavior.

“If you ask people what they eat when they are stressed, they eat more chocolate, cakes and sweets, and less fish, vegetables and fruit,” she said.

And: “There is good evidence that if we look at people who have experienced trauma as a child tend to be heavier as adults”.

The study also should not be seen as an endorsement of eating junk food, Prof Morris said, noting this would set people on a path to other serious health problems.

Future research would aim to determine whether other rewarding activities – such as exercise – could have a similar stress-busting affect on rats’ brains.

The research was conducted jointly with PHD student Jayanthi Maniam, and it is published in the journal Psychoneuroendrocrinology.

Drinking eight cups of tea daily might sound a bit too much for some people, but health experts say the intake can help fight heart disease, improve brain power and also boost longevity.

Independent Dietician, Dr. Carrie Ruxton’s research on caffeine at King’s College, London, saw her review 47 published studies to reach the conclusion that caffeinated drinks such as tea, coffee and cocoa have positive effects on mental function, increasing alertness, feelings of well-being and short-term memory.

Previous studies have already linked the drink’s healthy antioxidant properties and high flavonoid content to preventing heart disease and cutting the risk of some cancers.

Ruxton has supported earlier reports by claiming that an optimal intake of 400mg of caffeine a day leads to “key benefits in terms of mental function and heart health”.

She assessed three studies, accounting for almost 90,000 patients, to find that drinking four cups of tea or coffee a day reduced chances of cardiovascular disease.

She referred to another study of 26,500 middle-aged smokers, which hinted that men who ingested more than two cups of tea a day pulled down the probability of getting a stroke by 20 percent.

Ruxton insisted that she aimed to “debunk” false beliefs surrounding caffeine.

Moreover, she asserted that people who avoid drinking team might be doing more harm than good.

“People who cut out caffeinated drinks may miss out on the potential health benefits of the compounds they contain,” the Daily Express quoted her as saying.

She further suggested that there was “no need” for parents to stop children from drinking tea and coffee. In fact, she claimed it was better than juice in some regards.

Also, Dr Catherine Hood, of the Tea Advisory Panel, agreed to Ruxton’s claims.

She said, “Caffeinated drinks have been unfairly demonized. Black tea, in particular, contains polyphenols, which are natural plant antioxidants.”

“These have beneficial effects on many biochemical processes in the body because they protect cells against harmful free radicals.” she said.

“Flavonoids are thought to be especially useful, with a number of studies reporting a link between them and lower risk of heart attack.” she added.

Another way to improve your brain is push your brain in novel ways by playing Myfitbrain.

Has it been one of those days when nothing seems to go right? When you feel sluggish, irritable and downright slow? It could be your diet that’s to blame.

A few chocolate biscuits with your morning coffee may seem a relatively harmless treat, but scientists have discovered that such day-to-day indulgences could be more damaging than previously thought.

It’s well known that high-fat diets are harmful in the long-term – causing obesity, diabetes and heart failure – but now, for the first time, we know they can have a distressing short-term impact, too.
High-fat diets cloud your thinking within days

Distressing: High-fat diets, like Homer Simpson’s, cloud your thinking within days

For eating a high-fat diet can reduce physical endurance and your ability to think clearly within just days, according to a new study from Oxford University.

The research, funded by the British Heart Foundation (BHF), found that after nine days, rats put on a high-fat diet were able to run only 50 per cent as far on a treadmill as those that stuck to their usual, low-fat feed.

They were also making mistakes sooner in a maze task, suggesting their cognitive abilities were affected.

Professor Kieran Clarke, head of the research team at Oxford University, described the results as ’startling’. ‘It shows that high-fat feeding even over short periods of time can markedly affect mind and body.’

So why would fat have such an instantly negative effect? The Oxford researchers had already discovered that high levels of fatty acids in the blood and poor dietary habits were associated with heart failure, so they decided to investigate whether a high-fat diet – defined as eating a lot of red meat, cheese and sweet foods – for just a few days would cause a change.

The rat study showed that eating fat increased levels of a protein that reduces the efficiency of the heart, so reducing our physical endurance.

As for the effect on the brain, high-fat diets are known to lead to a decline in cognitive ability over time and illnesses such as dementia.

But when it comes to the short-term impact, Dr Alan Maryon-Davis, president of the UK Faculty of Public Health, sees a distinctly Darwinian resonance in the new findings.

‘A high-fat diet sends a message to the brain that it’s a time of plenty, so the neurotransmitters – brain chemicals – tell us that we don’t have to be quite so frenetic about finding food,’ he says. ‘Our hunter gatherer instinct is switched off, or at least put on hold.’

In other words, our thinking isn’t as acute.

What can we do about it? Experts estimate that nine days in a rat’s life is probably the equivalent of a month in that of a human being.

This means we might expect to see the same results that the fat rats endured in little more than four weeks.
Load up on fruit and veg after a weekend of excess including lots of fatty foods

Damage limitation: Load up on fruit and veg after a weekend of excess including lots of fatty foods

Dr Andrew Murray, who worked on the study, equates the standard, low-fat feed that the rats were given to ’something like humans eating nothing but muesli every day’.

So far, so frugal. But the high-fat diet used in the experiment, in which 55 per cent of calories came from fat, isn’t terribly high by human standards.

The official recommendation is to restrict fat intake to no more than 30 per cent of our daily calorie intake, yet many of us exceed 40, or even 50, per cent each day – very close to the amount of fat the rats were getting.

‘The rat intake translates to a diet of about 3,000 calories a day,’ says Professor Clarke. ‘Something like going to McDonald’s every day for lunch would probably do it.’

The BHF recommends restricting fat, especially saturated fat, and not overdoing it on the calories, no matter where they’re from.

‘If you have a heavy weekend of excess, it’s probably a good idea to make up for it with a healthier few days,’ says Professor Clarke.

So load up on fruit and veg and make fat and sugar an occasional treat. Grilling or microwaving rather than frying will also help.

The scientists are carrying out similar studies on humans, looking at the effect of a shortterm, high-fat diet on exercise and cognitive ability.

This time the study will involve students – Professor Clarke and her colleagues plan to pit couch potatoes against star athletes to test the effect of high-fat diets.

But they have no doubts the outcome will be sobering. ‘I’ve definitely made changes in my diet, such as switching to semi- skimmed milk and cutting out chocolate,’ says Professor Clarke.

Dr Murray adds: ‘Let’s just say the temptation to nip off for a bacon sandwich when you’re doing this kind of research is far less prevalent than normal.’

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If you are tempted to eat high-fat foods, play Myfitbrain instead and do something positive for your brain not negative.