Avoiding Alzheimers: Adjusting your diet to avoid the disease
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - There is nothing more heartbreaking than watching a loved one go down the Alzheimer's path.
It's in the top-ten causes of death and currently impacts one person out of every nine in the United States over the age of 65.
But is there something you could do right now to better your chances against Alzheimer's?
It's easily done by everyone, and the sooner you start, the better your odds no matter your age.
Three times a day and more, we can improve our mental health horizon.
"There actually have been a few studies that have shown that what we eat can definitely lead to cognitive dysfunction," said Kelsey Hutter a registered dietitian at Allegheny Health Network.
73-percent of the food out there at our fingertips is processed.
"It's really our processed foods that can really increase our risk for cognitive decline," she said. "Those foods definitely increase our risk for type-two diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and obesity."
It's easy to find these foods - it's spelled out on the labels and in fast food restaurants.
This is where your brain comes in: A study of 10,000 people over ten years found "that those individuals with the highest intake of ultra-processed foods had an increased rate of cognitive decline and 28-percent increase," said Hutter.
That's not all, they also found a decline in executive function which deals with planning, memory, and focus, so they saw a 25-percent decline, according to Hutter.
She said if you're worried about your mental health, it's as simple as eating healthier.
"When I speak to my patients, we focus on eating foods closer to nature and having more of a plant-based diet," Hutter said.
The fewer processed foods in your diet, the better your mental health chances down the road.
"It is a decline over time," she said. "I have found through research, it's more preventative like eating these foods that are minimally processed will help with prevention."
There are no studies that say eating healthier will reverse whatever damage has been done but the prevention factor is clear.
This doesn't mean cutting out all processed foods, the study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association's Neurology said you will benefit from cutting it back to 20-percent of your daily intake, or 400 of your 2,000 daily calories.
That said, the more you cut back the better, and it's clearly not easy with temptation and convenience everywhere.
