Evidence of Learning #1 

 
Date:​ Dec, 19, 2017 
 
Subject: ​Neurology 
 
Type of Assessment:​ Research  
 
MLA Citations:​ “The 6 Alzheimer's Prevention Steps.” ​Food For The Brain ​, 
www.foodforthebrain.org/alzheimers-prevention/6-prevention-steps.aspx. 
 
Belkouch, M, et al. “The Pleiotropic Effects of Omega-3 Docosahexaenoic Acid on 
the Hallmarks of Alzheimer's Disease.” ​The Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry.​, U.S. 
National Library of Medicine, Dec. 2016, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27825512. 
 
Eskelinen, M H, and M Kivipelto. “Caffeine as a Protective Factor in Dementia and 
Alzheimer's Disease.” ​Journal of Alzheimer's Disease : JAD.​, U.S. National Library of 
Medicine, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20182054. 
 
Galasko, Douglas R., et al. “Antioxidants for Alzheimer Disease: A Randomized 
Clinical Trial With Cerebrospinal Fluid Biomarker Measures.” ​Archives of Neurology​, 
U.S. National Library of Medicine, July 2012, 
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3661272/. 
 
 
Analysis: 
 
According to the Alzheimer’s Association, more than five million Americans 
are living with Alzheimer’s, a progressive, irreversible brain disorder that slowly 
destroys memory/thinking skills. By 2050, this number could potentially rise to 
over 16 million. Thus, given the gravity of this disease, making the public more 
aware of how Alzheimer’s can be prevented has developed into a potential original 
work of mine. Although there are various ways to approach the prevention of 
Alzheimer’s, one of the significant methods I found was through the betterment of 
an individual’s diet. Through this article published by Food For the Brain, I hope to 
gain a better idea of what types of dietary intervention steps can be taken to 
prevent Alzheimer’s.  
 
 To begin, before the prevention steps were listed, I found it interesting that 
at the very top was a free cognitive function test that served as an indicator for an 
individual’s cognitive ability. Although I am unsure of the accuracy of this test, I 
believe that the easy-to-access nature of the online screening test is a big first step 
towards increasing awareness of Alzheimer’s. Due to the fact that Alzheimer’s is 
irreversible, I believe it is crucial to recognize the early symptoms associated with 
the disease as soon as possible. I found that if an individual received a poor score 
on the cognitive function test, then they would be recommended to receive 
homocysteine testing. Homocysteine itself is an amino acid that is usually 
associated with the consumption of meats. With some further research, I 
discovered that elevated homocysteine levels were associated with an increased 
risk of heart attacks and strokes. Furthermore, those with elevated homocysteine 
levels have twice the normal risk of developing Alzheimer’s. However, there is still 
much controversy surrounding the precise role that homocysteine plays in the 
human body, but as aforementioned, it is an important initial step towards curbing 
the number of individuals diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. 
 
In continuation, eating fish (or omega 3 fish oil) three to four times a week 
has been shown to lead to memory enhancement in adults. This is due to the fact 
that fish are excellent sources of Vitamin B12, D, and choline, which is a 
macronutrient that is very important for the development of the brain. However, a 
component that I do not comprehend is how exactly vitamins can lead to an 
enhanced memory. This link may have been clinically researched and proven, yet 
there seems to be a chemical explanation that I am lacking. Despite the lack of a 
clear explanation, it is still very encouraging to find that ​Omega-3 docosahexaenoic 
acid (DHA) is found in the brain when a fetus is still in its developmental stages. 
Thus, DHA’s importance cannot be questioned and can possibly even indicate that 
even the diet of pregnant women may be vital in lowering the chances of a newborn 
from being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s later in his/her life.  
 
Furthermore, another recommendation by Food For the Brain is to increase 
one’s intake of antioxidants. This can be accomplished by consuming more fruits 
(especially blueberries and strawberries) and vegetables (especially carrots, 
cauliflower, broccoli, spinach, and mushrooms). Antioxidants are substances (such 
as vitamin C or E) that that remove harmful oxidizing agents. After further research 
on oxidation, I found that biological oxidation occurs when electrons are removed 
from a substance Although oxidation can sometimes be helpful to the organism, 
oxidation can result in DNA and proteins being damaged, which can lead to 
degenerative diseases. Thus, I learned about the importance of receiving a 
sufficient amount of antioxidants in one’s diet. GIven that there is a proven link 
between oxidants (also known as free radicals) and chronic diseases, I would 
assume that antioxidants are mostly beneficial to the body. However, the question I 
have is whether there is a certain limit of antioxidants that should be consumed in a 
day. Surprisingly, too many antioxidants can result in the opposite effect and 
engender harmful pro-oxidants. I believe that a very key component for raising 
awareness about how Alzheimer’s can be prevented through one’s diet is stressing 
the fact that many of the necessary nutrients can be obtained naturally (and not 
through a surplus of expensive supplements).   
 
Interestingly enough, keeping one’s blood sugar levels down can preserve 
one’s memory. The article suggests keeping a low GL (glycaemic load) diet - foods 
with a high GL will have a greater impact on one’s blood sugar, while foods with a 
low GL will encourage the body to burn fat. A bit of skepticism can be derived from 
one part in the article that states “[E]ating white bread is associated with poorer 
cognitive test performance.” While there may be some correlation between these 
two factors, I am unsure whether this conclusion can readily be reached or not. 
Nonetheless, just recently, a “tipping point” between blood sugar levels and 
Alzheimer’s has been established, as excessive glucose levels can result in a vital 
enzyme (macrophage migration inhibitory factor) involved in the early stages of 
Alzheimer’s being damaged. What is even more intriguing is that fact that diabetic 
patients have an increased chance of being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. This can be 
explained by the process of glycation, which is a natural process in which sugar in 
the bloodstream attaches to proteins and forms harmful molecules called advanced 
glycation end products. With this research, published by the University of Bath 
Department of Biology, the precise cause of Alzheimer’s is now closer to being 
traced. I realized that this study has confirmed yet another incentive to reduce 
one’s sugar intake. Thus, the overall idea of this portion of the article seems to be 
maintain a consistently balanced plate that has a low GL. 
 
Finally, I learned that another dietary intervention step that can be taken to 
reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s is to drink less coffee. Admittedly, according to the 
article, there is “inconsistent evidence” between coffee and a higher risk of 
Alzheimer’s. However, when approaching the situation from a chemical level, 
drinking a lot of coffee raises homocysteine levels. As mentioned above, I 
discovered that homocysteine is a common amino acid found in the blood (derived 
primarily from meat products). There is a certain parallel that exists between 
homocysteine levels and the GL levels mentioned in the previous paragraph. 
However, I found it strange that while high homocysteine levels may cause heart 
disease, getting homocysteine levels low will not reduce the possibility of 
contracting heart disease. This most likely suggests a missing link found within the 
true role of homocysteine in the human body. In the same strand, the article 
suggests drinking more tea (instead of coffee), yet with some more research, I 
discovered many contrary pieces of evidence. For example, according to the 
National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), caffeine is seen as a 
protective factor in Alzheimer’s. Through the NCBI’s research, I discovered the 
beneficial effects of coffee and its usefulness in fighting cognitive decline. The NCBI 
has not found enough evidence to confirm that tea is truly effective against 
Alzheimer’s. Furthermore, there are many other websites that back up the NCBI on 
its claim, which makes me highly question Food For the Brain’s assertion. In the 
future, I hope that some clarification will arrive and the true role of caffeine can be 
corroborated. 
 
All in all, this article by Food For the Brain was very helpful in helping me 
realize that there are many ways that Alzheimer’s can be prevented. Although the 
potential changes in diet suggested by the article seem to be very minor, when 
dealing with a neurological disorder that is expected to rise to unprecedented 
levels, it is seemingly crucial that every miniscule measure be taken in order to 
keep one’s chances low of contracting Alzheimer’s disease. While I will not take 
Food For the Brain’s suggestions with a grain of salt (due to its contrary claims), I 
must also make sure to gather an eclectic collection of sources/research studies to 
draw from in order to ensure that I am learning about the most accurate and 
up-to-date information as possible. While I may have only focused on the diet 
sphere in this piece of writing, I will also make sure to discover other prevention 
methods for Alzheimer’s in the near future.   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
Eating one serving of oily fish a week is associated with 
halving the risk of Alzheimer’s.​[1]​ Supplements of one kind 
of omega 3 fish oil, called DHA, have been shown to enhance 
memory in adults​[2]​ who don’t eat fish, and to prevent 
memory loss in those in the early stages of memory 
decline.​[3]​ But it’s not just oily fish. The more fish you eat, 
the better your memory test performance. Fish is also an 
excellent source of vitamins B12​[4]​[5]​, D and choline, all 
essential for the brain. Chia and flax seeds are also an 
excellent source of omega 3. ​Back to 6 steps 

 
  

 
The more fruit and vegetables you eat the lower is your risk   
of cognitive decline​[6]​ with vegetables being particularly 
protective.​[7]​The best kinds of vegetables are carrots, 
cauliflower, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, spinach and 
mushrooms. The best fruits are berries, especially 
blueberries and strawberries.​[8]​ Flavonoids and polyphenols, 
found not only in fruit and vegetables, but also in tea, red 
wine and dark chocolate, are associated with preserving 
memory​[9]​and a number of mechanisms exist to explain 
their positive actions on cognitive performance.​[27]​ The 
most protective effect is found eating six servings (500g) a 
day of fruit and vegetables.​[7] 
Supplementing both vitamin C (1g) and vitamin E combined is 
associated with halving the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.​[10] 
Back to 6 steps 
  
  

 
Keeping your blood sugar level down, which also means you   
make less insulin, preserves your memory.​[11]​ That means 
avoiding sugar as much as possible and eating slow-releasing 
‘whole’ carbohydrate foods such as wholegrain bread or pasta 
and oat cakes. Eating white bread is associated with a poorer 
cognitive test performance, whereas high fibre bread is 
associated with better performance.​[7]​ Eating carbohydrate 
foods with protein, for example brown rice with fish, or 
porridge oats with seeds, further reduces the glycemic load 
(GL) of a meal. Best fruits in this respect are berries, cherries 
and plums while grapes, raisins and bananas are high GL. These 
kinds of foods are consistent with a Mediterranean diet which 
has also been shown to reduce risk.​[12]​ Eat your fruit, don’t 
drink it. Fruit juice has a lot of sugar in it. ​Back to 6 steps 

 
  

 
Having a higher intake and blood level of vitamin B12 and folic   
acid is associated with a quarter of the risk of developing 
Alzheimer’s.​[13]​Vitamin B6, B12 and folic acid, especially in 
combination, lower blood levels of 
homocysteine, which is a key predictor of 
risk. ​[14]​Lowering your homocysteine, if 
above 10mcmol/l, by supplementing high 
dose B6 (20mg), folic acid (800mcg) and B12 
(500mcg) has been shown to greatly reduce the rate of brain 
shrinkage​[15]​ and memory loss​[16]​ in those at risk of 
Alzheimer’s. That is why it is VITAL to check your homocysteine
level and, if above 10, speak with your doctor about 
supplementing high doses of B vitamins. Otherwise, 
supplement a daily multivitamin or B complex. B12 absorption 
can greatly worsen with age, and is inhibited by the diabetes 
drug metformin​[17]​, and antacid ‘proton-pump inhibitor’ (PPI) 
medication​[18]​. If you are taking these be sure your GP checks 
your homocysteine level. ​Back to 6 steps 

 
  

 
While there is inconsistent evidence linking coffee with more or
less risk, drinking lots of coffee both raises homocysteine 
levels​[19]​ and promotes the excretion of protective B 
vitamins.​[20]​ For example, two cups of coffee raises 
homocysteine by 11% in 4 hours.​[21] 
Green tea on the other hand, is associated with a lower risk of 
cognitive impairment. ​[22]​Ordinary tea drinking is also 
associated with better cognition.​[23]​ Our advice is to limit 
coffee to one a day and drink tea, ideally green, instead. ​Back to 
6 steps 
  
  

 
Keeping fit,​[24]​ learning new things to stimulate your mind   
and staying in touch with friends and family all help to reduce 
your risk. If you don’t use it you lose it. 
There may also be a benefit in exercises that require more 
mind-body coordination, such as t’ai chi​[25]​ or yoga, and 
exercising outdoors – we make vitamin D in the presence of 
sunlight. 
These activities also help to reduce stress, which is another 
prevention step in the right direction, as is keeping your blood 
pressure down.​[26]​Back to 6 steps