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Study: Low-fat diet may reduce risk of developing Alzheimer's
June 17, 1997
Web posted at: 11:54 p.m. EDT (0354 GMT)From Correspondent Rhonda Rowland
(CNN) -- If you prefer chowing down on cheeseburgers and french fries instead of eating a healthy diet of fruits, vegetables and lean meats, you could be setting the stage for the development of Alzheimer's disease.
That's the conclusion of a study, "Dietary Links to Alzheimer's Disease," that compares countries whose people generally eat high-fat foods to those whose citizens have low-fat diets.
"What I found by comparing the national diets of 11 countries throughout the world was that those countries that had a higher fat content in their diet have a higher prevalence of Alzheimer's disease than those countries that have a lower content," said researcher Dr. William Grant.
Take the United States and China. Grant said Americans consume four times more fat than the Chinese, and are four times more likely to have Alzheimer's disease.
Grant recommends that Americans reduce their daily fat intake to 15 percent to 20 percent of total calories, reduce their caloric intake to about 2,500 calories, take anti-oxidants and trace mineral supplements, and exercise.
But before you clean out your refrigerator, consider these words of caution from Dr. Denis Evans of the Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center:
"To make a statement that I could lower my risk of Alzheimer's disease by changing the way I eat would require more of a direct comparison between what I eat and what my risk is. That really isn't offered by this report."
Instead of comparing the diets of nations, Evans said the diets of individuals should be compared.
The Alzheimer's Association agrees, saying in a statement: "The conclusions are premature, and not warranted by the evidence cited nor the methods used."
Still, both the Alzheimer's Association and Evans encourage more research into a possible dietary link to the disease.
There are about 4 million people in the United States with Alzheimer's disease. That number is expected to rise to 15 million by the middle of the next century.
Related sites:
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- The Alzheimer's Association
- ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE AND DEMENTIA
- Alzheimer's Disease - What Is Alzheimer's?
- Diagnostic Center for Alzheimer's Disease
External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.
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