Foods that help prevent Alzheimer's disease

Alzheimer's disease is an irreversible, progressive brain disorder that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills. Read the following guidelines to learn how diet can help you maintain healthy brain function as a preventative measure against diseases like Alzheimer's.

Eat at least one meal of fatty fish per week

You may think of salmon as heart healthy, but it could be just as good — or even better — for your brain. Chalk up its brain benefits to omega-3 fatty acids, especially a type called DHA, which your brain is largely made of. Low levels are linked to memory and learning problems and even Alzheimer's disease.

DHA is thought to guard against the accumulation of beta amyloid proteins, the stuff responsible for the sticky brain lesions, known as plaques, that are the hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease. Fish fats also counter inflammation, which may contribute to protein buildup in the brain. When scientists added DHA to the diets of mice bred to develop Alzheimer's disease, the mice had lower levels of nasty brain plaques than mice who didn't get the DHA.

One population study suggests that eating fish once a week or more even after age 65 can reduce your risk of developing Alzheimer's by 60 percent compared to someone who eats less fish. If you don't like fish, talk to your doctor about taking one to two grams of fish oil daily.

Eat your spinach

Despite what Popeye believed, it won't make your muscles strong, but it could help maintain healthy brain function. Spinach is a good source of folate, a B vitamin that helps keep levels of homocysteine in check. This amino acid damages blood vessels and doubles the risk of Alzheimer's disease. Another great B vitamin is niacin. Studies find that a diet containing at least 17 milligrams of niacin (vitamin B3) a day reduces the risk of Alzheimer's disease by 70 percent compared to a diet shy on niacin.

You can get 14 milligrams from a 100 gram (3.5 ounce) serving of cooked liver, 10 milligrams from 125 millilitres (1/2 cup) of peanuts, and 13 milligrams from 85 grams (three ounces) of white-meat chicken. Other great sources of B vitamins are beans and lentils, fortified grains, whole wheat breads and nuts.

Sip a glass of wine in the evening

One of the best studies of dementia in the world, done by the Canadian Study of Health and Aging, found that drinking a glass or two of wine a day reduced the risk of Alzheimer's disease by 62 percent in women and 51 percent in all participants when men were included with the women.

The benefit is probably due to something in the wine itself, since the protection afforded by wine was far greater than that from liquor or beer. Check with your doctor before increasing your alcohol intake.

Cultivate a pomegranate juice habit

The risk of developing Alzheimer's is 76 percent lower in people who drink pomegranate juice at least three times a week compared to those who drink it less than once a week. This is probably because of the high levels of antioxidants called flavonoids in the juice. These antioxidants neutralize free radicals, which are damaging molecules that attack cells and contribute to the formation of brain plaques. Pomegranate juice has been shown to help prevent an Alzheimer's-like disease in mice.

Drink some coffee

If you enjoy a cup of coffee in the morning, don't give it up — it may be protecting your brain. According to recent research, caffeine appears to help protect the so-called blood-brain barrier from the harmful effects of high cholesterol, possibly reducing the risk of dementia. Other studies suggest that caffeine can help shore up memory in older people.