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Authors: Neal Barnard
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more modestly. 4 The New York team then brought more volunteers into the study, and much the same pattern held. Those who tended to favor meat and dairy products had a higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease compared with those who chose what the researchers called a “Mediterranean”pattern of more healthful foods. 5 In both the Chicago and the New York studies, people who had fewer “bad” fats in their diets had less risk, and this was true
even if they had APOE e4 allele
.
A study in Finland came up with much the same result: Saturated fat increased the risk of dementia in people with APOE e4 allele. 6 A Dutch study broke from the pattern, suggesting that diet mattered in the first few years of observation but not after that, for reasons that are not clear. 7 Overall, the jury says that something about the fat in meat and dairy products poses a problem for the brain.
So it looks like these “bad” fats are linked to Alzheimer’s disease, and teaming up with copper makes things all the worse.
Compare the Saturated Fat Content
It makes sense to take advantage of foods from plant sources. With few exceptions, foods from plant sources are strikingly low in saturated fat.
HIGH-FAT (IN GRAMS)
LOW-FAT (IN GRAMS)
Beef, ground (3 oz.)
5.6
Apple (1 medium)
0.1
Cashews (1 oz.)
2.2
Banana (1 medium)
0.1
Cheese, cheddar (1 oz.)
6.0
Beans, pinto (½ cup)
0.2
Cheese, mozzarella (1 oz.)
3.7
Broccoli (1 cup)
0.1
Chicken breast (½ breast, roasted)
2.1
Chickpeas (½ cup) Orange (1 large)
0.0
Egg (1 large)
1.6
Potato (1 medium)
0.1
Milk, whole (1 cup)
4.6
Rice, brown (1 cup)
0.3
Salmon, Atlantic (3 oz.)
2.1
Bad for the Heart, Bad for the Brain
Saturated fat, trans fats—is some of this sounding familiar? If so, it is because these same “bad” fats assault the heart. Saturatedfats and partially hydrogenated oils cause your body to make more cholesterol, which, in turn, encourages plaques to form in the arteries to your heart and to your brain—plaques that gradually pinch off the passage of blood.
If these “bad” fats are a regular part of your diet, your cholesterol level is likely to rise. And studies show that people with high cholesterol levels are more likely to develop Alzheimer’s. Compared with a person whose cholesterol level is under 200 milligrams per deciliter, if your cholesterol is around 220, you are not just courting a heart attack. Your Alzheimer’s risk is higher, too—about 25 percent higher. And if your cholesterol is in the 250 range or higher, your likelihood of developing Alzheimer’s would be about 50 percent higher. 8 These numbers come from a study of 9,844 Kaiser Permanente subscribers in California who had their cholesterols checked when they were in their early forties.
A high cholesterol level in midlife predicted their Alzheimer’s risk twenty to thirty years later.
Understanding Your Cholesterol Test
A high cholesterol level is linked to risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Here is how to interpret your own test results:
•
Total cholesterol simply means all the various forms of cholesterol added together. According to most authorities, this value should be below 200 milligrams per deciliter (5.2 millimoles per liter). However, for greater safety, some doctors (including me) recommend a limit of 150 milligrams per deciliter (3.9 millimoles per liter) or below.
•
Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol is also called “bad” cholesterol, because it increases the risk ofplaques. It should be below 100 milligrams per deciliter (2.6 millimoles per liter), and some experts suggest an even lower limit of 80 milligrams per deciliter (2.1 millimoles per liter).
•
High-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol is referred to as “good” cholesterol, because it carries cholesterol away. It should be above 45 milligrams per deciliter (1.2 millimoles per liter) for men, and above 55 milligrams per deciliter (1.4 millimoles per liter) for women. However, if your total
even if they had APOE e4 allele
.
A study in Finland came up with much the same result: Saturated fat increased the risk of dementia in people with APOE e4 allele. 6 A Dutch study broke from the pattern, suggesting that diet mattered in the first few years of observation but not after that, for reasons that are not clear. 7 Overall, the jury says that something about the fat in meat and dairy products poses a problem for the brain.
So it looks like these “bad” fats are linked to Alzheimer’s disease, and teaming up with copper makes things all the worse.
Compare the Saturated Fat Content
It makes sense to take advantage of foods from plant sources. With few exceptions, foods from plant sources are strikingly low in saturated fat.
HIGH-FAT (IN GRAMS)
LOW-FAT (IN GRAMS)
Beef, ground (3 oz.)
5.6
Apple (1 medium)
0.1
Cashews (1 oz.)
2.2
Banana (1 medium)
0.1
Cheese, cheddar (1 oz.)
6.0
Beans, pinto (½ cup)
0.2
Cheese, mozzarella (1 oz.)
3.7
Broccoli (1 cup)
0.1
Chicken breast (½ breast, roasted)
2.1
Chickpeas (½ cup) Orange (1 large)
0.0
Egg (1 large)
1.6
Potato (1 medium)
0.1
Milk, whole (1 cup)
4.6
Rice, brown (1 cup)
0.3
Salmon, Atlantic (3 oz.)
2.1
Bad for the Heart, Bad for the Brain
Saturated fat, trans fats—is some of this sounding familiar? If so, it is because these same “bad” fats assault the heart. Saturatedfats and partially hydrogenated oils cause your body to make more cholesterol, which, in turn, encourages plaques to form in the arteries to your heart and to your brain—plaques that gradually pinch off the passage of blood.
If these “bad” fats are a regular part of your diet, your cholesterol level is likely to rise. And studies show that people with high cholesterol levels are more likely to develop Alzheimer’s. Compared with a person whose cholesterol level is under 200 milligrams per deciliter, if your cholesterol is around 220, you are not just courting a heart attack. Your Alzheimer’s risk is higher, too—about 25 percent higher. And if your cholesterol is in the 250 range or higher, your likelihood of developing Alzheimer’s would be about 50 percent higher. 8 These numbers come from a study of 9,844 Kaiser Permanente subscribers in California who had their cholesterols checked when they were in their early forties.
A high cholesterol level in midlife predicted their Alzheimer’s risk twenty to thirty years later.
Understanding Your Cholesterol Test
A high cholesterol level is linked to risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Here is how to interpret your own test results:
•
Total cholesterol simply means all the various forms of cholesterol added together. According to most authorities, this value should be below 200 milligrams per deciliter (5.2 millimoles per liter). However, for greater safety, some doctors (including me) recommend a limit of 150 milligrams per deciliter (3.9 millimoles per liter) or below.
•
Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol is also called “bad” cholesterol, because it increases the risk ofplaques. It should be below 100 milligrams per deciliter (2.6 millimoles per liter), and some experts suggest an even lower limit of 80 milligrams per deciliter (2.1 millimoles per liter).
•
High-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol is referred to as “good” cholesterol, because it carries cholesterol away. It should be above 45 milligrams per deciliter (1.2 millimoles per liter) for men, and above 55 milligrams per deciliter (1.4 millimoles per liter) for women. However, if your total
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