I received a recent e-mail that asked me to stop putting “such doom & gloom out there.”  I was surprised that my views are perceived as “doom and gloom.”   The writer of the e-mail states “The research is out there that you can cure all of it by diet!”  If  only it were that simple.

Alzheimer’s disease is not caused by faulty diet.  Indeed, no one really knows what causes Alzheimer’s disease.  Eating more healthy foods and portion control are a part of any good wellness plan.  The best current advice from research of Alzheimer’s disease is to focus on fruits, vegetables, and fish.  But eating such a diet will not cure all of our ills.  There is no simple solution.  There is no magic supplement or food.  And isn’t it a form of blaming the victim to be so simplistic?

The bad news about Alzheimer’s disease is that there is no cure in sight.  We still don’t understand the biology well enough yet to develop a preventative strategy.  So far, well-conducted, prospective research has been disappointing regarding supplements, foods, and anti-inflammatory agents.  You can do all of the “right” things and still become demented.

The good news is there too.  By 2050 only 15% of those over 65 will have a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease. That is a substantial number of people but does not approach the numbers affected by heart disease, cancer, or stroke (by far, the leading causes of death are still heart disease and cancer – Alzheimer’s disease is number 6 on the list).  Alzheimer’s disease develops over a period of decades and comes on very slowly.  Many will develop Alzheimer’s disease and not become demented (i.e., disabled by it).  This means that you can be proactive and make the course much better for you and your family with advanced planning.  You can manage  better by aggressively monitoring and treating changes in short-term memory over time.

I don’t want to belabor points that I often make.  There are no guarantees, no simple strategies.   We now clearly know that brain health is related to cardiovascular health and cognitive stimulation.  Attend rigorously to cardiovascular health to reduce some of the wear and tear from aging.  Manage blood pressure and blood sugars.  Eat more healthy foods.  Feed your interests and passions.  Above all else, stay in good physical shape.