What You Need To Know About Alzheimer’s Disease
Alzheimer’s Disease is a form of dementia that affects memory, thinking and behavior. It is an irreversable, progressive brain disorder. Late onset Alheimer’s occurs in the mid 60’s, early onset Alzheimer’s occurs in the 30-40’s. Amyloid plaques and tangled bundles are some of the main features. The other feature is the loss of connections between nerve cells in the brain. As many as 5.8 million Americans age 65 and older may have Alzheimer’s disease. Genetics, environmental factors, toxins, and microbiome modulation play a role in onset. Newer theories for onset include sleep, stress, menopause and hypertension and are being studied. Currently approved Alzheimer’s treatments, which treat Alzheimer’s symptoms only and are not disease-modifying — are three cholinesterase inhibitors, donepezil (Aricept), rivastigmine (Exelon), and galantamine (Razadyne); the NMDA receptor modulator memantine (Namenda); and a combination treatment of memantine and donepezil (Namzaria).
Two new studies have shown some promise to help people with Alzheimer’s disease.
Published in the journal Scientific Reports, the researchers found a correlation between the composition of the gut microbiome and the behavioral and cognitive performance of mice carrying genes associated with Alzheimer’s. The findings are the first to demonstrate a direct connection between the gut microbiome and cognitive and behavioral changes in an Alzheimer’s disease animal model. Although more research is needed, this shows a correlation between gut health and brain health. Consume a diet rich in pre ad probiotic foods such as: Artichokes, oats, asparagus, onions, garlic, and fermented foods.
Another study, published in The Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, showed that exercise may reduce decline in global cognition in older adults with mild-to-moderate Alzhiemer’s disease. The researchers primary finding indicated that a 6-month aerobic exercise intervention significantly reduced the decline in global cognition in comparison to Alzheimer’s disease dementia’s natural course of decline. Both cycyling and stretching were found to be effective.
Accumulating evidence shows that nutritional factors influence the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and its rate of clinical progression. Dietary supplementation of antioxidants, B vitamins, polyphenols, and polyunsaturated fatty acids are beneficial to Alzheimer’s disease, and consumption of fish, fruits, vegetables, and coffee, reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s. Dietary patterns summarizing an overall diet are gaining momentum in recent years. Adherence to a healthy diet, the Japanese diet (fish, seafood, and plant-based foods with minimal amounts of animal protein, added sugars, and fat), and the Mediterranean diet (fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, and it includes less dairy and meat than a typical Western diet) is associated with a lower risk of Alzheimers disease.
If you suspect a loved one has Alzheimers disease, it is very important to reach out to your physician for testing and evaluation. Tests such as the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and the Alzheimer’s Disease Assessment Scale-Cognitive subscale (ADAS-Cog) can be done as well as blood work and scans.
Spinach & Artichoke-Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms
Stuffed mushrooms and spinach-artichoke dip come together in this quick vegetarian recipe. Serve these cheesy stuffed mushrooms with a big salad for a satisfying and healthy dinner.
Recipe Summary
Directions
Tips
Tip: To prepare mushroom caps, gently twist off the stems of whole portobellos. Using a spoon, scrape off the brown gills from the underside of the mushroom caps. If you prefer, purchase mushroom caps rather than whole mushrooms.
Nutrition Facts
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