Omega-3s in walnuts may lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease by Russell Phillips May.7.2012 Omega-3 fatty acids in walnuts and walnut oil may also prepare the body to deal better with stress. Omega-3 fatty acids, found in foods such as fish, chicken and nuts, may be associated with lower blood levels of a protein called beta-amyloid, which is thought to play a role in Alzheimer’s disease and memory problems. The research is published in the May 2, 2012, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. “While it’s not easy to measure the level of beta-amyloid deposits in the brain in this type of study, it is relatively easy to measure the levels of beta-amyloid in the blood, which, to a certain degree, relates to the level in the brain,” said study author Nikolaos Scarmeas, MD, MS, in a press release. Dr. Scarmeas is the senior author of the study and is a professor at Columbia University Medical Center in New York. People older than age 65 and free of dementia, provided information about their diet for an average of 1.2 years before their blood was tested for the beta-amyloid. The study looked at the responses of 1,219 subjects. Researchers looked specifically at 10 nutrients, including saturated fatty acids, omega-3 and omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids, mono-unsaturated fatty acid, vitamin E, vitamin C, beta-carotene, vitamin B12, folate and vitamin D. The study found that the more omega-3 fatty acids a person took in, the lower their blood beta-amyloid levels. Consuming one gram of omega-3 per day more than the average consumed by people in the study is associated with 20 to 30 percent lower blood beta-amyloid levels. This is equivalent to approximately half a fillet of salmon per week. Other nutrients examined were not associated with plasma beta-amyloid levels. The results stayed the same after adjusting for age, education, gender, ethnicity, amount of calories consumed and whether a participant had the APOE gene, a risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease. “Determining through further research whether omega-3 fatty acids or other nutrients relate to spinal fluid or brain beta-amyloid levels or levels of other Alzheimer’s disease related proteins can strengthen our confidence on beneficial effects of parts of our diet in preventing dementia,” said Scarmeas. Walnuts are not only good for the brain, but also for your ability to deal with stress. A diet rich in walnuts and walnut oil may prepare the body to deal better with stress, according to a team of Penn State researchers who looked at how these foods, which contain polyunsaturated fats, influence blood pressure at rest and under stress. Neurology abstract
Posted on: Fri, 26 Jul 2013 06:44:43 +0000