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Can a diet high in fat ultimately lead to dementia?
• Studies say it's possible
Monday,
November 16, 2009
I’m middle aged, in decent shape and I don’t have diabetes…yet. I love pizza, bread and pasta and although I’ve cut way back on fried food, I can’t fathom a burger without a side of Five Guys fries. Sound familiar?
Obesity is a huge problem for American adults. Every day is a feeding frenzy from breakfast to dinner, high-fat foods prevail and not one of us gets enough exercise.
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Diets high in trans and saturated fats have been found to adversely affect cognitive function, reports the New York Academy of Sciences, while diets high in fruits, vegetables, cereals and fish are associated with better cognitive function and a lower risk of dementia as we age.
Experts at the National Institutes of Health say that, at midlife, too much dietary fat intake can lead to Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) later on, which has much to do with insulin levels in the blood, say doctors.
"More work is needed to identify the neurobiological mechanisms underlying cognitive impairment, but saturated fatty acid intake, as well as insulin resistance and glucose intolerance may be important factors,” states a study published in Health & Medicine Week.
A recent physical revealed my cholesterol pushing 300 and a blood pressure systolic inching up toward 130 from 120. I’m not as sharp as I used to be and I need to do something about it now. This way I can age healthfully and with a glimmer of intelligence.
“Older adults are particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of dietary fat. Seniors with marginal levels of nutrient intake often perform poorly on tests of cognitive function and are at increased risk for various forms of dementia," say biomed experts G. Winocur and C.E. Greenwood in Neurobiology of Aging.
Heard enough? Me too. I’m waking up to a crunchy bowl of granola in the a.m.; an 8 oz. glass of juice and a fast walk. I don’t need a doctor to tell me that I’m overweight or what do to about it. It's really quite simple: Eat more nutritious foods, cut back on fat and get more exercise.
Got a food addiction? Check out The Sedona Method or attend a local Food Addicts Anonymous meeting by calling 561-967-3871. You may also be interested in this local listing of Food Addicts in Recovery meetings in our area.
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