In Belgium, Alzheimer's disease affects 3 out of 10 people over 65 years of age, or approximately 130,000 people. In France, nearly 900,000 people are affected by this disease and a new case is detected every 3 minutes. According to the WHO, dementia affects 47.5 million people worldwide, of which Alzheimer's disease is responsible for 60 to 70% of cases.
In 60% of cases, patients suffer from wandering, loss of reference points and orientation problems. Half of those affected have eating disorders and one third of them have weight loss prior to the diagnosis of the disease.
As in many pathologies, diet is extremely important for prevention purposes.
The omega-3 are essential for the growth and proper functioning of the entire body. They play a major role in brain health. They help to prevent the appearance of neurological and degenerative diseases of the brain and are thus very indicated to prevent the Alzheimer's disease, just like the stress or the depression.
It is essential to bring them to our body, because this one is unable to synthesize them. A lot of these fatty acids are found in fish such as farmed Atlantic salmon, cod (especially cod liver oil), halibut, mullet... Be careful, however, to the quality of the fish chosen. Indeed, many pollutants and heavy metals are found, nowadays, in these fish.
Nuts and their oil are also very good sources of omega 3 and contain a good amount of it. Some other first-pressed vegetable oils (rapeseed, soybean, flaxseed, wheat germ, olive... and even cannabis oil!) also provide interesting quantities.
Vitamin B9 deficiencies have long been known to lead to difficulties in performing certain cognitive tasks. Vitamin B9 helps synthesize chemical messengers in the brain and, like vitamin B12, helps regulate the level of homocysteine, an amino acid that, when its concentration is too high, induces negative effects on brain health.
Folate is found mainly in the leaves of plants, but also in green vegetables such as spinach, cabbage and salad. They are also present in brewer's yeast, chickpeas and corn, or in liver (of pork, beef, veal...).
The vitamin C and E sont également indispensables pour prévenir la maladie d’Alzheimer. Le cerveau est une machine compliquée et dynamique. C’est le siège de bon nombre de processus chimiques, cellulaires et électriques. Ces processus entraînent la formation de radicaux libres qui peuvent endommager les cellules et accélérer le déclin mental.
On peut efficacement neutraliser ces radicaux libres, en consommant des aliments riches en antioxydants.
La vitamine C sera retrouvée en bonne quantité dans les fruits et légumes tels que les oranges, kiwis, cassis, brocolis, persil, cresson… Quant à la vitamine E, elle se trouve dans les avocats, l’huile d’olive, les épinards, ainsi que dans les noisettes, noix cacahuètes et amandes, entre autres.
The Mediterranean diet is particularly indicated and interesting to prevent cognitive decline and Alzheimer's disease, as well as cardiovascular diseases. This type of diet, which most people living around the Mediterranean are used to following, has the particularity of providing a lot of omega-3, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals, thanks to a high consumption of fruits, vegetables, fish and spices, while moderating meat and dairy products. And don't forget the sun and vitamin D!