Keeping your cognitive powers robust
Almost 7 million Americans age 65 and older have Alzheimer’s disease — and three-quarters of them are 75-plus. But AD doesn’t just pop up once you’re getting Medicare. It’s a slowly developing disease that new studies show produces distinct changes in your brain and body over many years.
In 2020, researchers announced a blood test to spot biomarkers that signal AD and allow for early diagnosis. And recently, a 20-year study found that certain biomarkers in cerebrospinal fluid and seen through brain imaging appear in one time sequence in folks who develop AD and in quite another order in those who don’t. They included markers for amyloid beta and tau proteins as early as 18 and 14 years, respectively, before AD diagnosis.
The good news: Taking steps while you’re younger will reduce your risk for the development of those earliest markers of AD.
Your goals? To maintain a healthy blood flow, normal blood pressure and a healthy weight, manage stress and prevent inflammation. Start by eating a plant-based diet (may include fish like salmon); getting 150-plus minutes of exercise plus 150 minutes of walking weekly; getting seven-eight hours of sleep nightly; having a posse of supportive friends.
Sinful saturated fat
Saturated fats show up in butter fat, meat fat, lard, cheese, and tropical oils like palm, coconut, and palm kernel oil.
In the U.S., this fat accounts for around 15 percent of folks’ total calories. The American Heart Association says that it’s best if it’s not more than 5 percent to 6 percent of daily calories.
That’s because saturated fats may raise lousy LDL cholesterol, fuel inflammation and seem to increase your risk for heart disease. When you reduce your intake of saturated fats, it’s smart to increase foods that deliver healthy fats like olive oil and omega-3s (in salmon and walnuts), instead of upping your carb intake, which tends to be from overprocessed foods.
Now there’s another reason to eliminate excess sat-fat from your diet. It’s been found to be associated with serious risks for breast, prostate and colon cancer.
A meta-review of 55 studies says that three types of sat-fats are particularly risky: stearic acid found in meat, eggs, dairy, lard, and cocoa and shea butter; palmitic acid found in palm oil, butter, meat, milk, and cheese; and myristic acid in palm kernel oil, coconut oil, butterfat and dairy.