The diet to reduce risk of Alzheimer’s
Its eye-catching design, featuring circles and curves, has been compared to a UFO. As a new centre opens its doors, it is designed to provide a way forward for dealing with dementia
A WESTERN diet rich in meat and high-fat dairy products and eggs puts people at a greater risk of Alzheimer’s, researchers claim.
The stark warning comes from scientists who have also discovered that a Mediterranean diet – of fruit, vegetables, grains, low-fat dairy products, beans and fish – is associated with a significantly reduced risk.
They also found that diets with even lower meat content – like those found in India, Japan, and Nigeria – reduced the risk of Alzheimer’s yet further.
Expert Dr William Grant said: “The most important dietary link to Alzheimer’s disease appears to be meat consumption, with eggs and high-fat dairy also contributing.
“Reducing meat could significantly reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease as well as several cancers, Type 2 diabetes, stroke and chronic kidney disease.”
Speaking from the Sunlight, Nutrition and Health Research Centre in San Francisco, he added: “Mounting evidence from ecological and observational studies indicates that the Western dietary pattern – especially the large amount of meat – is strongly associated with risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and other chronic diseases.
“While the traditional Mediterranean diet is associated with about half the risk for Alzheimer’s disease of the Western diet, the traditional diets of countries such as India, Japan, and Nigeria, with very low meat consumption, are associated with an additional 50 per cent reduction in risk of Alzheimer’s.
Last night research bodies welcomed the new study, but said more research was still needed into why certain foods seemed to lead to cognitive decline. Dr Simon Ridley, director of research at Alzheimer’s Research UK, said: “While studies of national diets and rates of Alzheimer’s can help to identify trends at a population level, more controlled studies are needed to provide definitive evidence of a link between particular foods and risk of the disease.
“Previous research has linked diets rich in fruit and vegetables, nuts, and fish to better cognitive health, but research is showing that other lifestyle factors such as physical activity, smoking and alcohol intake can also influence a person’s risk of Alzheimer’s.
“Age is the biggest risk factor in the majority of cases of Alzheimer’s, followed by genetics and a variety of lifestyle factors, of which diet is just one.
Pressure
“Alongside a healthy diet, not smoking, staying mentally and physically active, drinking in moderation and keeping blood pressure in check can all help to keep our brains healthy.”
In the UK, one person is diagnosed with dementia – caused by such diseases as Alzheimer’s – every three minutes, with the condition costing the economy £23billion every year.
It is the only cause of death still on the rise with 850,000 Britons now suffering from dementia. That figure is estimated to reach one million by 2025.
There are also 40,000 people with early onset dementia under 65.
Last year the Government announced that Britain is to lead the world in trying to find a cure for dementia, creating a new £150million research institute.
The latest research was published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition.
INDOORS, everything is cutting-edge. All the rooms lead on to a garden or patio, while there’s a hair salon, library and cinema complete with popcorn machine. The interiors are painted in calming colours and there’s state-of-the art mood lighting. A chef caters for every whim, including gathering herbs from the garden, and there’s a rooftop barbecue area.
This is the 21st-century approach to dealing with dementia. When the Abbeyfield Society officially opens its purpose-built dementia home, in Winnersh, Berkshire, next month it will put most other institutions to shame.
The care on offer here draws on best practice from around the world, with the focus on removing many of the stresses that can make the condition so terrifying. There are colour-coded doors to each room and see-through boxes, containing treasured mementoes, to aid navigation. As a result of the pioneering circular design, confusing dead ends and corridors have been eliminated. Activities such as baking, painting and gardening keep residents occupied. There’s a tea room and plans for a pub.
To help to differentiate between night and day, staff at the £9 million home wear pyjamas during bed-time hours. All 60 residents are free to walk around the place 24/7, providing a sense of freedom that’s often sacrificed when dementia is at an advanced stage.
Currently about 700,000 people in the UK are living with the condition but the figure is predicted to grow dramatically, to one million in 2025 and two million by 2050.
Dementia describes a range of symptoms including memory loss and difficulties with thinking, problem-solving or language. It’s caused when the brain is damaged by diseases, such as Alzheimer’s.
A recent survey reveals patchy levels of care, frequently falling short of minimum standards. Homes are often not fit for purpose, in converted old buildings where residents are treated like prisoners.
FOUNDED 60 years ago, Abbeyfield is a not-forprofit charity which opened its first dementia home in 1986. It now has 26 homes, caring for 650 people, and Winnersh becomes the flagship.
Abbeyfield’s founder was Richard Carr-Gomm, a former soldier and Normandy veteran. To the astonishment of colleagues and his family, he resigned his commission in the Coldstream Guards at just 33 to become a carer for the elderly.
He started out by opening sheltered homes, in London before turning his concept into a national movement, called the Abbeyfield Society, in 1956.
The forward thinking of Carr-Gomm, who died aged 86 in 2008, is still the inspiration for the charity’s work and underpins the pioneering approach at Winnersh. Prince Charles is the Royal patron of the charity.
April Dobson, head of dementia innovation for Abbeyfield, says: “When it comes to dementia we have built a lot of experience in trying different methods and models, so we know what works. We have also drawn on the research by other organisations. Winnersh brings all that learning together.”
Residents are grouped in six small “households” of 10 people each. Individual rooms, with their various coloured doors, open into one of the distinctive circular buildings.
Of the futuristic-looking concept, created by architects and interior designers with experience of working in the field of dementia, April adds: “The environment is just as important as the standards of clinical care.
“We have tried to avoid those cavernous spaces often associated with care homes. In each of the circles there is a lounge, a place to eat and a central courtyard garden or roof terrace. It is designed to be homely.”
Street names and room numbers are other aids to memory, while lounges have different themes to make them distinctive. Another key design is enabling residents to get outdoors easily at any time, into a courtyard, roof terrace or the main gardens. There is a children’s playground, a feature often overlooked at adult care homes.
Good access to outside space for dementia residents has been found to improve fitness levels and mood. Other spin-offs include better sleep quality and diet, along with reduced stress and loneliness.
As residents begin moving in ahead of the official opening on September 22 their progress will be tracked to try to measure the impact of all the innovations at Winnersh, which has 100 staff.
Abbeyfield has drawn inspiration from a project in Holland called Hogeweyk, which opened in 2009. It is a supervised gated village for 150 dementia residents, boasting its own supermarket, theatre and bar.
Carers wear everyday clothes and residents can stroll freely. The scheme, which costs about the same as traditional dementia care, is achieving impressive results.
The UK’s version of this pioneering approach does come at a premium. It’s £1,200 a week for a room, compared with an average of £900 a week for care homes in the region. Yet there’s likely to be a clamour for places.
Among them is former nurse Christine Harris, 74, from Reading, who had dementia diagnosed seven years ago. Her daughter, Lyndsay, 49, who also works in nursing, says: “We first noticed that mum was becoming forgetful. It was silly things like putting the iron in the airing cupboard and forgetting recent conversations.”
Eventually Christine moved into sheltered housing but about a year ago, as her condition began to deteriorate, her family began seeking a care home.
“Some of the places we looked at were so bad they made me cry and I did not want that on my conscience,” says Lyndsay. “The new Abbeyfield home stood out because they have thought of everything. It’s unique.
“We were impressed by the freedom and all the activities. Mum still loves to be busy despite her dementia.”