May 23, 2008 – Could healthy eating preserve our memory and even help prevent dementia or Alzheimer’s disease?
This is the hope sown by researchers from Quebec and France who met in Quebec City on May 22 and 23, as part of a conference titled Nutrition and Cerebral Functions.1.
“The slowing down of cognitive functioning with age is a major public health challenge, due to the aging of the population and the extension of life expectancy,” explains researcher Stephen Cunnane of the University of Sherbrooke.
These two demographic factors are also leading to an increase in the number of people suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. It affects 300,000 Canadians, including one in four people over 85 years of age.
The antioxidant trail: vitamin A
There is currently no way to prevent Alzheimer’s disease. But researchers believe that certain nutrients may play a protective role against this disease.
According to the DD Pascale Barberger-Gateau, of the University of Bordeaux, the brain’s antioxidant defense system becomes less and less effective as we age. Hence the interest of researchers in following the trail of foods rich in antioxidants. “Studies have already shown that people who consume fruits and vegetables in sufficient quantities are 30% less likely to suffer from dementia,” she says.
Vitamin A is one of the nutrients catching the attention of researchers. This antioxidant, which is found among other things in organ meats, would be promising.
“As we age, our brain transforms vitamin A less well, which alters the plasticity of synapses and causes memory deficits,” explains Professor Véronique Pallet, from the University of Bordeaux.
In other words, the brain’s ability to promote connections between neurons is reduced as we age. “The fewer connections there are, the less efficient the memory is”, emphasizes the DD Pallet.
It is too early to say that a sufficient intake of vitamin A would prevent Alzheimer’s disease in humans. But cognitive decline has been successfully prevented in older mice by giving them extra vitamin A.
However, vitamin A needs a valuable ally to work: omega-3s. “An unbalanced omega-3 diet disrupts the action of vitamin A in the brain, hence the importance of having a sufficient supply of essential fatty acids,” explains Véronique Pallet.
Food, the secret to mental well-being?
For neuroscience specialist Sophie Layé, more and more research tends to show that omega-3s are a guarantee of mental well-being. “We believe that omega-3 can limit the development of behavioral disorders, constituting a form of promotion of well-being,” she says.
His research indicates that a balanced diet – containing enough omega-3s – may provide protection against anxiety, which increases with age. “However, anxiety increases oxidative stress in the brain, releasing free radicals that impair the proper functioning of the brain and memory. “
But the focus shouldn’t be strictly on certain nutrients or vitamins, the researchers warned. “A single good habit is not enough, concludes the D.D Pascale Barberger-Gateau. It is necessary to combine different food sources of antioxidants and omega-3, preferring food to supplements. “
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Martin LaSalle – PasseportSanté.net
1. The Nutrition and Cerebral Functions colloquium was organized by the Institute of Nutraceuticals and Functional Foods (INAF) of the University of Laval, in collaboration with the Institute for Research in Human Nutrition in Aquitaine, of the University of Bordeaux.
