What 5 nutrients do Alzheimer’s patients tend to be deficient in?

Everyone has heard of Alzheimer’s and you may know people who have suffered from Alzheimer’s disease.  My sister called my attention to an article in Forbes magazine, People with Alzheimer’s disease tend to be deficient in these 5 nutrients that ‘help keep brains in top condition at all ages’ researchers say.  What are these 5 nutrients and how do these nutrients help protect against Alzheimer’s disease?  These research findings are interesting to me not only as a nutritionist but the work Forbes cited was done at the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine by Professor Kathleen Dorey.

What was the study and what other studies have been done?

Virginia Tech scientists analyzed the brains of 31 donors, average age 75.  Most but not all of the donors had died with Alzheimer’s.  The scientists found that those with Alzheimer’s had brains with only half the level of 5 nutrients. 

NIH has also studied diet in preventing Alzheimer’s Disease.  Their study outlines dietary factors positively and negatively influencing Alzheimer’s disease.  Positive diet factors are diets rich in antioxidants, Vitamins C, E and B vitamins, and polyunsaturated fats.  Negative dietary factors include highly processed foods, saturated fat, simple sugars, and poor-quality food.

What are the 5 nutrients Virginia Tech scientists found low Alzheimer’s donors?

Lycopene:  This antioxidant is found in fruits and vegetables that are usually red.  WebMD notes, Lycopene is a powerful antioxidant that might help protect cells from damage. 

Good sources of lycopene:

•      Tomatoes including tomato sauce, tomato paste, tomato juice, catsup, tomato soup, spaghetti sauce, salsa
• Watermelon – I noted how healthy watermelon is, see Watermelon – tasty and so good for your health.
• Grapefruit – pink grapefruit
• Apricots
• Guava
• Red bell peppers

Retinol:  Most people have heard of Vitamin A, well retinol is a form of vitamin A.  Retinol helps your immune system, helps you see in dim light, and helps keep your skin healthy.  Foods like carrots have beta-carotene that your body converts to this healthy retinol. Fruits and vegetables that contain beta-carotene (preformed retinol) are usually dark orange, yellow, dark green or red.  When I asked my students to list foods high in beta-carotene, they often included bananas.  Sorry, bananas are healthy but the part you eat is white so not a great source of beta-carotene.  Notice “dark green”.  Thus, lettuce would provide very little beta-carotene but spinach would provide a lot.  Many animal foods provide retinol including “cheese, eggs, oily fish, milk, yogurt and liver”. 

Good sources of beta-carotene (retinol):

•       Carrots, Sweet potatoes, pumpkin
• Spinach, broccoli
• Red peppers
• Cantaloupe, mangos, apricots, papaya
• Cow’s milk, yogurt, cheese
• Eggs      

Lutein:  You often now see “lutein” added to vitamin/mineral supplements.  Lutein is known as the “eye vitamin” as this nutrient helps protects your eyes from sun damage.  WebMD notes lutein “helps preserve brain activity, improving memory, learning efficiency and verbal fluency.”   Color is an indicator of what foods provide lutein as lutein gives plants yellow and green colors. 

Good sources of lutein:

• Green vegetables: kale, spinach, Romaine lettuce, green bell peppers, parsley, zucchini
• Yellow vegetables:  corn, yellow and orange peppers, squash
• Nuts:  Pistachios
• Eggs – not the highest in lutein but the fats in the egg yolk help you absorb the lutein

Zeaxanthin:  One of those healthy antioxidants found in foods, zeaxanthin is known for protecting eyes from sun damage, and helps prevent age-related macular degeneration. 

Good sources of Zeaxanthin:  Many foods are rich sources of lutein and zeaxanthin such as dark green and yellow fruits and vegetables. 

• Eggs
• Oranges
• Grapes
• Mango
• Orange peppers
• Corn
• Green vegetables:  kale, spinach, broccoli, peas

Vitamin E:  This vitamin acts both as a vitamin and as an antioxidant in our bodies.  Vitamin E helps your immune system and may help prevent heart disease.  The Mayo Clinic notes that some researchers have found that vitamin E may delay the progression of Alzheimer’s disease while other researchers have found no benefit.  But do not try to get vitamin E from supplements as these “appear to have no effect on whether people with mild cognitive impairment progress to Alzheimer’s disease”.  Always better to get vitamins from food.   Plant-based oils and some fruits and vegetables provide vitamin E.

Good sources of vitamin E: 

•  Oils:  sunflower, safflower, soybean, and wheat germ oil
• Nuts:  Almonds, peanuts, peanut butter  
• Seeds: Sunflower seeds
• Greens:  Spinach, beet greens, collard greens
• Other vegetables:  red bell pepper, asparagus, pumpkin, avocados

Conclusion:  All the nutrients noted are considered antioxidants which are noted for preventing or delaying damage to cells in your body.  What diets are good to follow that provide all these antioxidants?  The MIND diet is one which is a combination of the Mediterranean and DASH diets.  The MIND diet focuses on lots of fruits and vegetables, beans, nuts, and fish.  (See:  Can you eat for a healthier mind?).  Fresh or frozen fruit and veggies are a great way to add antioxidants to your day.  Juice can be a great source of antioxidants, if it is real juice.  

Sources:  People with Alzheimer’s disease tend to be deficient in these 5 nutrients that ‘help keep brains in top condition at all ages’ researchers say. , NIH , WebMD , sources , Watermelon – tasty and so good for your health. , foods , lutein , sources , eyes , macular degeneration , sources , foods , Mayo Clinic , Can you eat for a healthier mind?  Image Sources: High lycopene foods , lutein and zeaxanthin foods , Diet