I was fortunate enough to go to New York City at the beginning of March to attend the Integrative Health Symposium. On the first day David Perlmutter MD (author of The Better Brain Book) spoke about the link between diet and brain health. He touched on many aspects of this but one thing that came out loud and clear is SUGAR IS BAD FOR YOUR BRAIN.
Where there is Smoke there is Fire:
When it comes to a disease like Alzheimer’s, modern medicine often focuses on the end product of the destructive process going on in the brain. In Alzheimer’s this is often the excess Beta Amyloid levels. Dr Perlmutter argues that these “end products” are actually more like “smoke” we can do a lot more good for people if we stop focusing on them and instead bring our attention to the “fire” that is producing them.
His theory (and it is supported by many well done studies ) is that one of the major contributors to this disease are something called “Advanced Glycation End products” or AGEs. What the heck are they? Well “glycation” has to do with sugar. In the simplest terms, these a diverse group of molecules formed when sugar attaches to a protein or a fat. Once formed the reaction is irreversible. If you have more sugar circulating in your blood than is needed to meet your normal energy needs then you will make excessive AGE’s. Over time they can build up in the tissues of the body .
Ill effects of excessive AGE’s include: wrinkles, joint aches, cardio-vascular disease, fatty liver, Alzheimer’s disease, and cancer.
Other things that cause AGE’s to be formed include: normal aging, oxidative stress (more on this later), and inflammation in the body. AGEs are also found in foods. They are most highly concentrated in animal products exposed to high heat (such as grilled, fried, or broiled meat). Those dark lines that form on grilled meat may not be the best thing for your brain!
AGEs have been known play a role in other neurodegenerative conditions such as Parkinson’s disease and also in heart disease and other chronic illnesses. And they have been clearly linked to an increased risk for cognitive decline (memory loss, etc).
Sugar and the Brain:
Anytime you have more sugar circulating in your blood than you need to run the machinery of your body, you’ll end up making more AGE’s. Considering that the average American now consumes 2.5 pounds of sugar per WEEK, you can see how we are setting ourselves up for chronic disease.
An article way back in 1994 had already implicated AGE’s and Alzheimer’s ds (Vitek et al. “Advanced glycation end products contribute to amyloidosis in Alzheimer’s disease.” Neurobiology. vol 91. pp 4766-4700. May 1994)
Avoiding excessive sugar intake is vital for brain health. Especially highly refined sugars because they are more likely to lead to spikes in your circulating blood sugar.
Having excessive AGE’s increases overall inflammation in the body. Read on to see how you can combat inflammation and oxidative stress through a healthy diet.
Oxidative stress, is fuel for the fire:
Oxidation is the process that puts rust on metal and when it happens inside of us it makes us pretty rusty, too. Oxidation happens when harmful substances called “free radicals” act on healthy proteins and cells.
Free radicals are atoms of oxygen with an unpaired electron. That electron does not like to be unpaired and so it will take another electron away from other molecules in the body. Free radicals cause damage this way when they steal electrons from your DNA, cell walls, LDL cholesterol particles, or structural proteins. In face these free radicals have been implicated in many health problems including: premature aging, cancer, heart disease, arthritis, memory loss, and cataracts.
Where free Radicals come from: —-Some free radicals are normal byproducts of the body’s metabolism.
—–However many come from our environment: from pollutants in the air we breathe, the food we eat, and the water we drink
—–Other sources include charbroiled meats, cigarette smoke, SUGAR, excessive stress, and sunlight exposure.
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In Alzheimer’s disease the beta amyloid that causes the destruction inside the brain is “glycolated” and “oxidized”. One study published in Neurobiology in 1994 showed that the brains of people with Alzheimer’s have 300% more of AGE modified beta amyloid than healthy brains. (Vitek, Michael et. al. “Advanced glycation end products contribute to amyloidosis and Alzheimers disease” Neurobiology. May 1994. Vol91: pp 4760-4770).
Glycated proteins (those changed by sugar), produce nearly 50 x more free radicals than non-glycated ones in the human body.
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Antioxidants to the rescue:
The Good News: if high sugar diets and excessive free radicals are contributing to Alzheimer’s disease and dementia there is something you can do about it. You can change your diet.
Free radicals can be neutralized by antioxidants. These wonderful natural defenders are abundant in many foods. Some research has looked at using antioxidants in a pill form, as supplements, and the results have been mixed. Some early research did show that taking vitamin C and vitamin E may help to reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. Other research on vitamin E has shown increased risk for other problems. It’s complicated and so I’m not going to strongly come out for or against supplements right now. I believe the best way to get your antioxidants is in food, the way nature intended!
Most experts agree that diet and lifestyle changes are most effective when done BEFORE any symptoms arrive. But it’s never too late to make a healthy change.
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Foods that Help the Brain:
1) Antioxidants: Antioxidants are most abundant in brightly colored vegetables and fruits. Most people get more than enough fruit and not enough vegetables so keep that in mind when planning your meals. Antioxidants are also found in coffee and dark chocolate but the research seems to indicated that for brain health you want to focus more on the ones in vegetables and fruit (though organic coffee in moderation may also have some protective effect).
Goal: “eat the rainbow” –try to have something from each color of the rainbow every day. There are different ways to break up these food groups. At the conference one nutrition expert did it this way:
Blue/Purple: (they kept this as one group b/c they share many similar phytonutrients but I would still try to get some of each). Blueberries, blue corn chips (organic), Black berries, beets, eggplant, purple plums, prunes, raisins, grapes, purple kale, purple potatoes, etc.
RED: Apples, strawberries, raspberries, red plums, tomatoes, pomegranates, red peppers, etc
ORANGE: Winter squashes, carrots, apricots, sweet potatoes, mangoes, oranges, bell pepper, etc
YELLOW: Bell Peppers, corn, yellow onion, yellow squash, yellow peppers, avocado
GREEN: Broccoli, all the dark leafy greens, Brussels sprouts, artichoke, asparagus, green beans. GREEN TEA too (there is some research showing intake of green tea can prevent demential
2) Follow a low carb/ low glycemic index diet. Sugar is a carbohydrate; but not all carbohydrates are unhealthy. In fact they are a great source of prolonged energy and we need them to be healthy. But not all carbs are alike. Some will turn quickly into sugar once you eat them and lead to quick spikes and then crashes in your blood sugar. These are called “high glycemic index” carbs and are best avoided. “Low glycemic index” carbs tend to be more a more complex type of carbohydrate such as a vegetable or a whole, unrefined grain. To learn more about how to switch to a low glycemic index diet check out the following web page:
http://glycemicindex.com/index.php
3) Eat Lean Proteins:
Lean proteins such as beans, tofu, fish, are less likely to lead to the creation of excessive AGE’s. And are less inflammatory to the body than proteins high in saturated fats.
4) Eat Healthy Fats: Omega 3 fatty acids (such as those found in fish and nuts) are anti-inflammatory to the body and essential for normal brain function. The Omega 3 fatty acid DHA is crucial for brain function and we cannot manufacture it in the body. It must come in through our diet. The main source of this fatty acid is fish. If you do not eat any fish then you may want to consider taking a fish oil (or krill oil) supplement.
5) Avoid unhealthy fats, too much animal protein, and processed foods. Some examples of foods known to be unhealthy for your brain include:
-trans-fats –White sugar –Artificial sweeteners (aspartame) —Chemical food additives -hydrolyzed vegetable proteins –soy protein isolates —overcooked meats –caramelized foods –excessively sugary foods
6) Buy organic whenever possible:
Though we don’t know exactly what the impact is of pesticides on brain function, we do know that some pesticides are neurotoxins and it seems wise to avoid those if you want to keep your brain functioning at it’s best. It can be expensive to do 100% organic all the time. However some fruits and vegetables are known to excessively accumulate pesticides and those are best eaten as organically grown only. Leafy greens and berries are two examples that come to mind. You can also check out the “dirty dozen” list put out by the Environmental Working Group each year. It lists the produce with the highest pesticide levels and also those with the lowest.
7) Get enough Vitamin B12: An 8 year study of people in their 70’s looked at memory and other signs of healthy brain function. The researchers found that cognitive function declined much faster among the subjects with the lowest B12 levels. Surprisingly these people did not have to have levels below normal to show ill effects. Just being in the low normal group was enough. It is certainly a good idea to have your B12 level checked at your physical and it wouldn’t hurt to take a supplement. Most of the multivitamins for people over age 55 add in extra B12, or you could just take it as a stand alone with 25 to 50mcg for prevention and much higher doses (500 to 1000mcg) to treat deficiency.
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Don’t forget about Stress:
Stress is inflammatory to the body as well. A key part of brain health is having a healthy way of coping with stress:
–exercise –meditate –laugh –be creative –do some yoga, or tai chi –get enough sleep –have a massage
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Exercise :
Finding a type of exercise you enjoy is essential for overall health. Besides helping you to cope better with stress, exercise also helps you to use up excessive sugar and makes the insulin you have circulating in your body work better. It burns fat and the less fat you have sitting around your mid-section the less inflammation you have in your body. If you want to minimize the amount of AGE’s in your body then regular exercise is key.
You don’t have to run a marathon either. Just walking for 30 min 5 x a week is enough. If that seems like too much start with shorter walks and work your way up.
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consider the impact of medications (over the counter and prescription):
In his “Better Brain Book” Dr Perlmutter goes to great lengths to discuss all the potentially harmful medications out there. I recommend checking it out. Also there has been some new research recently reporting on the dangers of benzodiazepines (xanax, klonopin, valium, ativan, etc). A prospective study looking at 1063 men and women (mean age 78) who were all free of dementia at the onset of the study. They were followed for 15 years. The researchers compared those who started benzodiazepine use at year 3 or later in the study to those who never took them and found a 50% increased risk for dementia in the group using benzodiazepines.
This really struck me because poor sleep is a common problem as we age and these medications are often used to help with sleep. I think the message here is to think long and hard before taking these and to investigate more natural ways to cope with insomnia and anxiety. Contact me if you want to learn more about how to do that for yourself.
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Helpful Links: For those of you who want to learn more:
Dr Perlmutter on Alzheimers:
http://www.drperlmutter.com/videos/a-better-brain-alzheimers-disease-is-preventable/
Eating a low glycemic index diet:
http://glycemicindex.com/index.php
Eating Organic:
Sleeping Better:
http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/ART02037/sleep-aid
Exercise more:
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/staying-active-full-story/
Stress management tips:
https://mail.google.com/mail/?shva=1#label/stress-management/138189a64bd55677
Holistic Health Counseling and Hypnotherapy 