Powerful Antioxidants for Dementia Protection: Learn How Diet and Supplements Can Slow Cognitive Decline

2023-08-15 14:44:16

Some substances may protect against dementia.

Scientists at the Virginia Tech School of Medicine have shown that the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease are deficient in important antioxidants. The results of the scientific work are published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease.

The researchers analyzed brain samples donated by donors with and without dementia. It turned out that in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease, levels of lutein, zeaxanthin, lycopene and tocopherols are significantly lower.

The concentrations of lycopene, zeaxanthin and retinol were half that in the brains of people of the same age without Alzheimer’s disease.

In addition, the retina selectively accumulates lutein and zeaxanthin from food, forming a visible yellow macular pigment that improves vision and protects photoreceptors. By non-invasively measuring the optical density of patients’ macular pigment, the researchers were able to assess the concentration of lutein and zeaxanthin in the brain.

The findings add to the evidence that dietary intake of carotenoids may slow cognitive decline before and possibly after a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease.

Previous research by Rush University’s Memory and Aging Project involving more than 1,000 participants from Chicago found that those who ate the MIND diet (a combination of the Mediterranean diet and a healthy blood pressure diet) experienced less decline cognitive abilities and dementia.

The healthiest and most balanced diet is the Mediterranean diet. See the gallery to see what products are included in its basis:

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