Preventing Alzheimer's disease The idea that your diet plays a major role in your health isn't quite such a foreign concept anymore -- even in the mainstream. In fact, more and more mainstream research studies are investigating this idea. One question they're trying to answer is whether or not your diet is an important factor in Alzheimer's disease. Not surprisingly, the answer they've come up with is "yes." One study published in the Annals of Neurology found that eating a Mediterranean-style diet -- one that's rich in olive oil, fruits, vegetables, grains, and fish -- could reduce your risk of Alzheimer's disease as much as 40 percent. The study, which followed 2,258 elderly Manhattan residents over an average of four years, showed that in addition to following a Mediterranean diet, those who had the most risk reduction also limited their consumption of meat and dairy products and drank moderate amounts of alcohol. The type of water you drink could also have an impact on Alzheimer's risk. One study found that drinking silicon-rich mineral water could be a natural way to reduce aluminum levels in people who have Alzheimer's disease. Although there's no proof that aluminum causes Alzheimer's, there's definitely a link between the tw People with Alzheimer's consistently have high levels of aluminum in their blood. In the study, eight out of 10 patients who drank up to 1.5 liters of still mineral water a day for five days experienced a reduction in their aluminum levels. Since silicon is a natural protector against the toxicity of aluminum, investigators attributed the decline in aluminum levels to the high concentrations of silicon available in the water. Right now, there's also a four-year study underway in Spain involving eight food companies, a technology center, and four universities that's focusing on designing functional foods that will help prevent Alzheimer's and cardiovascular diseases. Cool it Q: I have a 72-year-old cousin who still has hot flashes. What can help her? JVW: Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy is the best treatment for anyone who's experiencing post-menopausal symptoms. This natural therapy involves estradiol, estriol, and estrone in combination with progesterone in proportions as close as possible to those produced in the body. Women in this situation should also have their testosterone and DHEA levels checked. (Yes, women have testosterone in their bodies, too.) If your levels are low, your doctor should prescribe identical to natural replacements. This is especially important for testosterone, since the synthetic version is a known carcinogen. What are...functional foods? Any fresh or processed food claiming to prevent disease or promote health beyond supplying basic nutrition is known as a functional food. Food that is fortified with health-promoting additives, such as vitamin-enriched cereals, fall into this category. This list can also include any foods that have a specific claim attached to it, ones that are genetically modified, or processed foods produced from functional food ingredients. Sources:
"Mediterranean diet and risk for Alzheimer's disease," Annals of Neurology 2006; 59: 6, 912-921
"Drinking mineral water could reduce aluminum in Alzheimer's disease sufferers," medicalnewstoday.com, 5/25/06
"Alzheimer's up on 2004 list of US death causes," news.yahoo.com, 4/19/06 | 
