Do you have a close relative with dementia or Alzheimer's? I do - and I know that feeling of watching your loved one's personality and characteristics gradually fade as these life-altering conditions consume them. The terrifying question: will I be next?
New research increasingly indicates that we can control our destiny more than we think: diet and weight may play more of a role than genes when it comes to these conditions, just as with diabetes.
One recent study, published in the Neurobiology of Aging, examined the impact of carbohydrate restriction. Low-carb dieters did better than those on a typical diet of 50 percent carbs. Want to try it? I recommended: the New Atkins diet cookbook, filled with tasty low-carb recipes.
Also recommended to reduce your risk of dementia: a diet high in bright vegetables and fruits, say researchers. Alzheimer's ranks as the most common type of dementia, impacting 5.4 million Americans. As a result, research is continuing - and there is hope for those of us with a health history showing parents or close relatives with dementia.
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