Web Watch - Diet May Delay Onset of Alzheimers
By Shirley Butler
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Diets rich in vitamin C and E may delay the
onset of memory-robbing Alzheimer's disease, two studies in the June 26th issue of
The Journal of the American Medical Association suggest. Compounds called free radicals that are released during normal cell processes can be harmful to body tissues, leading to so-called oxidative damage or stress. Experts have linked oxidative stress to several illnesses, including
cancer, heart disease and Alzheimer's disease.
Since antioxidants--including vitamins C and E--can neutralize free radicals, some experts believe these nutrients could help delay the onset of Alzheimer's disease. In the first study, lead author Dr. Marianne J. Engelhart of the Erasmus Medical Center in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, and colleagues reviewed dietary information for 5,395 men and women at least 55 years old who were free of dementia.
After 6 years, 146 people in the group were diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, the researchers report. Engelhart's team found that those with the highest intake of vitamin C and
vitamin E from food appeared to be the least likely to develop Alzheimer's disease. Smokers who consumed the most beta-carotene and flavonoids--two types of antioxidant nutrients--also appeared to cut their Alzheimer's risk. However, whether the findings reflect a "causal association between dietary consumption of antioxidants and a reduction in a person's risk of Alzheimer's
disease "remains to be elucidated," the authors conclude. In the second study, lead author Dr. Martha Clare Morris of the Rush Institute for Healthy Aging in Chicago, Illinois, and colleagues also aimed to identify any relationship between dietary consumption of antioxidants and risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. Morris and colleagues studied 815 men and women aged 65 and older. After 3.9 years, 131 were diagnosed with Alzheimer's.
They found that those with the highest dietary intake of vitamin E had the lowest risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. But people who carried a gene known to increase Alzheimer's risk did not see any benefit from vitamin E consumption. Neither of the studies showed any reduction in the risk of developing Alzheimer's among people who took dietary supplements like daily vitamin pills that contained antioxidants. A benefit only appeared when the nutrients were
consumed in food. This finding, in itself, suggests that perhaps some other component of food
slows progression of Alzheimer's disease, Daniel J. Foley of the National Institute on Aging in Bethesda, Maryland and Dr. Lon R. White of Pacific
Health Research Institute in Honolulu, Hawaii, explain in an accompanying editorial.
NOTE FROM MHCR: Another informative site is
http://groups.msn.com/AlzheimersSupport/homepage, and it has a message
board and support. If you can access newsgroups through your email program,
an excellent and busy newsgroup is alt.support.alzheimers.
MEDICINE - LIGHT LAUGHS
"The long term implications of drugs/procedures must be fully considered:
"Because over the past few years, more money has been spent on breast implants
and Viagra than is spent on Alzheimer's Disease research, it is believed that by the year 2030 there will be a large number of people wandering around with huge breasts and erections who can't remember what to do with them"...
Here's some more new drugs that may soon be on the market..
St. Mom's Wort ... Plant extract that treats mom's depression by rendering preschoolers unconscious for up to six hours.
Empty Nestrogen ... Highly effective suppository that eliminates melancholy by enhancing the memory of how awful they were as teenagers and how you couldn't wait until they moved out.<br>
Pepto-Bimbo ... Liquid silicone for single women. Two full cups swallowed before an evening out increases breast size, decreases intelligence, and improves flirting.
Demerol ... When taken with Peptobimbo, can cause dangerously low I.Q. causing
enjoyment of country western music and WWF wrestling
Flipitor .. Increases life expectancy of commuters by controlling road rage and the urge to flip off other drivers.
Antiboyotics ... When administered to teenage girls is highly effective in improving grades, freeing up phone lines, and reducing money spent on make-up.
Menicillin ... Potent antibiotic for older women. Increases resistance to such lines as, "You make me want to be a better person ... can we get naked now?"
Buyagra ... Injectable stimulant taken prior to shopping. Increases potency and duration of spending spree.
Extra Strength Buy-one-all ... When combined with Buyagra, can cause an indiscriminate buying frenzy so severe the victim may even come home with a Donnie Osmond CD or a book by Dr. Laura.
Jack Asspirin ... Relieves the headache caused by a man who can't remember your birthday, anniversary or phone number.
Anti-talksident ... A spray carried in a purse or wallet to be used on anyone too eager to share their life stories with total strangers.
Sexcedrin ... Bedroom aerosol spray for men. More effective than Excedrin in treating the, "Not now, dear, I have a headache," syndrome.
Ragamet ... When administered to a husband, provides the same irritation as ragging on him all weekend, saving the wife the time and trouble of doing it herself.