Dramatically slash your Alzheimer’s risk
A decade ago, I watched Alzheimer’s whittle away the mind and livelihood of a loved one. By the end, she was a shadow of her former self, a shrunken shell who couldn’t recognize her own daughter.
It’s a terrifying disease, and I’m sure you’re as desperate to avoid it as I am.
Well, here’s a nutrient to add to your Alzheimer’s prevention arsenal. The potential for prevention is amazing.
Scientists led by a French researcher suspected that low levels of vitamin D were linked to cognitive decline among older adults. So they wanted to see whether dietary intake of vitamin D might predict who would get Alzheimer’s disease.
They studied 498 women who were 75 or older, dividing the women into three groups: no dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, and other dementia.
What they found (and published in the Journal of Gerontology: Medical Science) is pretty amazing.
The women who had the highest dietary intakes of vitamin D were a whopping 77 percent less likely to be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in seven years, compared with the women who took in the lowest levels of vitamin D.
We already knew that one of the benefits of vitamin D is cognitive protection, but we haven’t seen such promising numbers until this study. Now we know that vitamin D intake could be a key to keeping your mind sharp and free of Alzheimer’s well into your golden years.
If you missed any of the previous e-Tips about the benefits of vitamin D, here are a few highlights: It can help reduce the risk of breast cancer. It could be a key to muscle weakness. And it might just keep you from getting sick this winter.
To harness the benefits of vitamin D, Dr. Wright recommends soaking up the sun and working with a physician skilled in natural medicine to find your body’s optimal level of vitamin D. A general daily dose for adults is 4,000 IU, which can be achieved by spending 20 minutes in the sun with your face and arms exposed.
If you can’t get enough from the sun, cod liver oil is a good source of vitamin D. It packs in 1,200 to 1,500 IU per tablespoon. Be sure to take extra vitamin E if you supplement with fish oils, as it will help keep them from oxidizing too rapidly in your body.
P.S. Keep reading to learn how to beat bursitis naturally–in just two weeks.
Sources:
“Dietary Vitamin D Found to Delay the Onset of Alzheimer’s Disease,” Nutraceuticals World (nutraceuticalsworld.com)
