GERMANY—A recent study conducted at the University of Ulm in Germany and published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease found that eating foods that contain vitamin C and beta-carotene could help prevent the development of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
Alzheimer’s disease affects about 5.4 million Americans; it is caused by a build up of toxic plaque in the brain that damages nerve cells. The exact cause for this build up has not yet been determined. However, researchers believe free radicals are the main agent responsible for it. It is noted that antioxidants that can be found in vitamin C and beta-carotene can get rid of the free radicals and fight off the deadly plaque.
The study had 232 participants, 74 of them had mild dementia. All of the participants underwent memory evaluation and provided information regarding their lifestyle. The researchers analyzed their blood and measured the concentration levels of vitamin C, and beta-carotene. The team found that the vitamin C and beta-carotene concentration levels were much lower in the participants who had mild dementia compared to the levels found in the healthy individuals.
Both vitamin C and beta-carotene can be found in many foods. Vitamin C can be found in oranges, grapefruit, lemons, and limes while beta-carotene can be found in carrots, apricots and spinach. If you are interested in minimizing your risk of developing dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, you might want to consider adding vitamin C and beta-carotene to your diet.
Have a healthy day,
Larry Berman
July 11, 2013
http://www.naturecastproducts.net/2013/07/11/study-shows-you-can-prevent-dementia/
Image by Mattie B from Santa Cruz, via Wikimedia Commons
