Omega-3 fatty acids don’t protect against heart disease

Omega-3 is a type of fat. Small amounts of omega-3 fats are essential for good health and they can be found in the food that we eat.

July 30, 2018 Health, Nutrition, Wellness

By Star2.com

Contrary to popular belief, taking omega-3 fatty acid supplements does not help protect you against the risk of heart disease. — AFP

The main types of omega-3 fatty acids are: alpha­linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).

ALA is normally found in fats from plant foods, such as nuts and seeds (walnuts and rapeseed are rich sources).

EPA and DHA, collectively called long chain omega-3 fats, are naturally found in fatty fish, such as salmon and fish oils, including cod liver oil.

Increased consumption of omega-3 fats is widely promoted globally because of a common belief that it will protect against heart disease.

There is more than one possible mechanism for how they might help prevent heart disease, including reducing blood pressure or reducing cholesterol.

Omega-3 fats are readily available as over-the-counter supplements and they are widely bought and used.

A new Cochrane systematic review, published on July 18, 2018, in the Cochrane Library, combines the results of 79 randomised trials involving 112,059 people.

These studies assessed the effects of consuming additional omega-3 fat, compared to usual or lower omega-3 consumption, on diseases of the heart and circulation.

Twenty-five studies were assessed as highly trustworthy because they were well designed and conducted.

The studies recruited men and women – some healthy and others with existing illnesses from North America, Europe, Australia and Asia.

Participants were randomly assigned to increase their omega-3 fats or to maintain their usual intake of fat for at least a year.

Most studies investigated the impact of giving a long-chain omega-3 supplement in a capsule form and compared it to a dummy pill. Only a few assessed whole fish intake.

Most ALA trials added omega-3 fats to foods such as margarine, and gave these enriched foods, or naturally ALA-rich foods such as walnuts, to people in the intervention groups, and usual (non-enriched) foods to other participants.

The Cochrane researchers found that increasing long-chain omega-3 provides little, if any, benefit on most outcomes that they looked at.

They found high-certainty evidence that long-chain omega-3 fats had little or no meaningful effect on the risk of death from any cause.

The risk of death from any cause was 8.8% in people who had increased their intake of omega-3 fats, compared with 9% in people in the control groups.

They also found that taking more long-chain omega-3 fats (including EPA and DHA), primarily through supplements, probably makes little or no difference to risk of cardiovascular events, coronary heart deaths, coronary heart disease events, stroke or heart irregularities.

Long-chain omega-3 fats probably did reduce some blood fats, triglycerides and HDL cholesterol. Reducing triglycerides is likely to be protective of heart diseases, but reducing HDL has the opposite effect.

The researchers collected information on harms from the studies, but information on bleeding and blood clots was very limited.

The systematic review suggests that eating more ALA through food or supplements probably has little or no effect on cardiovascular deaths or deaths from any cause. However, eating more ALA probably reduces the risk of heart irregularities from 3.3% to 2.6%.

The review team found that reductions in cardiovascular events with ALA were so small that about 1,000 people would need to increase consumption of ALA for one of them to benefit. Similar results were found for cardiovascular death.

They did not find enough data from the studies to be able to measure the risk of bleeding or blood clots from using ALA.

Increasing long-chain omega-3 or ALA probably does not affect body weight or fatness.

Cochrane lead author, Dr Lee Hooper from the University of East Anglia, United Kingdom, said: “We can be confident in the findings of this review, which go against the popular belief that long-chain omega-3 supplements protect the heart.

“This large systematic review included information from many thousands of people over long periods. Despite all this information, we don’t see protective effects.

“The review provides good evidence that taking long-chain omega-3 (fish oil, EPA or DHA) supplements does not benefit heart health, or reduce our risk of stroke or death from any cause.

“The most trustworthy studies consistently showed little or no effect of long-chain omega-3 fats on cardiovascular health.

“On the other hand, while oily fish is a healthy food, it is unclear from the small number of trials whether eating more oily fish is protective of our hearts.

“This systematic review did find moderate evidence that ALA, found in plant oils (such as rapeseed or canola oil) and nuts (particularly walnuts) may be slightly protective of some diseases of the heart and circulation.

“However, the effect is very small, 143 people would need to increase their ALA intake to prevent one person developing arrhythmia. One thousand people would need to increase their ALA intake to prevent one person dying of coronary heart disease or experiencing a cardiovascular event.

“ALA is an essential fatty acid, an important part of a balanced diet, and increasing intakes may be slightly beneficial for prevention or treatment of cardiovascular disease.”

Cochrane is a global independent health research network, which produces reviews that study all of the best available evidence generated through research.

https://www.star2.com/health/2018/07/30/omega-3-fatty-acids-heart-disease/

10 natural ways to battle toxin exposure

In the U.S. alone, more than 60,000 chemicals are used in industry, agriculture and household products, none of which require real safety testing. Despite their widespread use, these chemicals pose real harm, and none of us are immune…

Dr. Isaac Eliaz

In the U.S. alone, more than 60,000 different chemicals are used in industry, agriculture and household products, none of which require real safety testing. These include flame retardants, pesticides and hydrocarbons and many other everyday pollutants, including byproducts of industrial processes, believed to be responsible for adverse neurodevelopmental conditions.

Despite their widespread use and assumed safety, independent research demonstrates that these chemicals pose real harm, particularly to vulnerable populations such as pregnant women, babies and children. But none of us are immune…

Common culprits

Here are some of the more common chemicals linked to neurodevelopmental disorders such as ASD (autism spectrum disorder), ADD/ADHD, learning disabilities, and other developmental disorders:

• Phthalates, found in plastics
• Organophosphate (OP) pesticides
• Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE) flame retardants, found in furniture, electronics, household dust
• Combustion-related air pollutants
• Lead
• Mercury
• Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs)
• Many others…

If we want to support health against this constant barrage of harmful chemicals and pollutants, we need strategies to safely remove toxins and heavy metals from our bodies, and prevent their re-accumulation.

Improving our natural detox functions

While cells and certain organs are actually quite good at removing toxins, they simply can’t handle the kind of toxic load we face today. Despite the best efforts of our organs of elimination including the liver, kidneys, skin, immune system, lungs and GI tract, many toxins remain lodged in the body.

In my practice, detoxification is a starting point in the treatment of numerous chronic illnesses, including cancer, Lyme disease, heart disease, autoimmune disease and many others. Gently removing toxins from the circulation and digestion first is a key strategy.

There are a number of important botanicals that support this process, such as modified citrus pectin (MCP) and sodium alginates. These are gentle agents that support the body’s ability to remove toxic metals such as lead, mercury and arsenic, as well as environmental toxins such as certain pesticides. This combination has been clinically shown to safely remove toxic metals without affecting essential minerals as so many other detox agents do.

For deeper detoxification, I recommend additional botanicals and nutrients to support the liver, kidneys, skin and other detox organs. The goal is to enhance the body’s natural detox mechanisms, including the critical process of methylation, and encourage antioxidant activity to help neutralize free radicals generated by toxic body burden. We also want to support the body’s vitality so that we have enough energy during detox.

Here are some ingredients that can support these actions:

1. Milk thistle seed extract
2. Dandelion leaf
3. Cilantro leaf
4. Astragalus root
5. Goldenrod
6. Chinese salvia
7. N-Acetyl Cysteine (NAC)
8. Alpha Lipoic Acid
9. L-Methionine
10. Calcium D-glucarate

Of course, an organic diet emphasizing whole, unprocessed foods, lots of green vegetables, and plenty of filtered water and herbal teas also provides critical detox support and supplies important phytonutrients to protect the body’s vital systems.

Regular exercise is another key modality that most of us overlook with our busy schedules. A 20 minute walk everyday can do wonders for your health, and is critical during detox to prevent toxins from getting stuck in transit.

There are also a number of therapies that can help clear the body’s detox channels and support overall health. Infrared saunas or regular saunas encourage sweating, one of our most important detox pathways. Acupuncture can help support the liver and other detox organs. Lymphatic massage is also helpful to get the lymph moving and increase blood flow, important when toxic burden, chronic inflammation or illness cause sluggish lymphatic drainage.

Today, environmental toxicity has become an immediate problem that requires an urgent solution. Yes, we absolutely need more aggressive regulations and protections for consumers. But we also need to regularly support the body’s abilities to eliminate toxins, safely and naturally.

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

http://easyhealthoptions.com/10-natural-ways-battle-toxin-exposure/#

Chelation Treatments for Heavy Metal Toxicity

The term “chelation” (pronounced key-lay-shun) comes from the Greek word chele, which means “claw”.  This may sound strange until you understand that certain agents, known as chelators are able to chemically bond with metals, minerals, or chemical toxins and whisk them out of the body via the urine and feces.

What Is Chelation?

In our increasingly toxic world, this is beginning to be a very necessary step toward wellness for many people.  One of the methods by which people are discovering their heavy metal toxicity is via a test known as hair mineral analysis, usually ordered by a naturopath or an integrative doctor searching for the underlying cause for disease.

People are discovering that their bodies are polluted with heavy metals such as iron, lead, mercury, cadmium, copper and zinc.  Our bodies cannot break down heavy metals, thus creating toxic levels which are playing havoc with health.

Natural therapists have long known that certain agents are able to chelate – grab onto – these heavy metals and pull them out of the body’s blood and tissues.  They form complex molecules that are chemically inert and can be easily excreted without interacting any further with the body.  This is the method by which chelation therapy detoxifies heavy metals.

So Where Are All These Heavy Metals Coming From?

Heavy metal toxicity is due to many different things, including amalgam dental fillings (which are about 50% mercury), lead in paint, tap water, chemical residues in processed foods, petrochemical products, and cosmetics (unless organic).  Mercury is probably the worst offender and those who work in these professions have the highest risk of mercury overload: physicians, pharmaceutical workers, any dental occupations, laboratory workers, potters, hairdressers, painters, printers, metal workers, welders, cosmetic industry workers, battery makers, engravers, photographers, and visual artists.

Dr. Garry Gordon, a leader in the field of chelation says, “No one on Planet Earth is operating at optimal levels without doing something about the toxic metals.  Thus the conclusion I draw is that chelation appears to be a lifetime necessity for all.  There is no chelation that can dent the lead levels of bones unless continued for at least seven years (bone turnover time).”

How Is Chelation Therapy Administered?

Depending on the agent used and the type of metal toxicity, chelating agents may be taken orally or injected into a vein or muscle.

Known Chelators

Note:  It is possible to feel worse after chelation than when you began if you are not well-informed and do not proceed carefully under the care of a competent healthcare practitioner.  You will want to get the hair mineral analysis test done first to see what metals you have a problem with (if any) and this test is usually done with a qualified professional like a naturopath or integrative doctor.  The following list is purely for informational purposes.

Ethylene Diamine Tetraacetic Acid (EDTA) is the most widely used and studied chelating agent.  It is a synthetic amino acid first used in the 1940’s as a treatment for lead poisoning.  In the 1950’s physicians began to use it for the treatment of cardiovascular disease. 

In 1980, Drs W Blumer and T Reich headed a study which discovered that people who lived close to a busy road had higher chances of dying from cancer than those who did not live close to a busy road.  They discovered that lead from vehicle exhaust was suspended in dust particles and sediment dust along the automobile artery.  They further found that calcium EDTA helped to eliminate the lead poisoning.  It appears that someone listened to this report – all vehicles manufactured after 1986 in the USA were required to operate completely on unleaded fuel.

However.  Using synthetic chelators with their own toxic side effects is not the best way to chelate.

More Natural Chelation Agents Include:

Homeopathic merc sol – good for the removal of arsenic, iron and mercury.

Alpha lipoic acid (ALA) – a nutritional supplement that transforms into dithiol dihydrolipoic acid, a chelator of both mercury and arsenic.  It is advised that ALA should be taken with caution by starting at low dosages and supporting its use with a full protocol, which includes clay, to ensure that the heavy metals do actually leave the body.

Inositol Hexaphosphate (IP6) – derived naturally from seeds and rice bran, is the most potent natural chelator of iron and completely non-toxic. Researchers at Wake Forest University Health Sciences state that “iron chelators may be of value as therapeutic agents in the treatment of cancer. They may act by depleting iron, a necessary nutrient, and limiting tumor growth.” [Current Topics Medical Chemistry 4: 1623—35, 2004].   IP6 appears to work selectively against cancer cells. Because cancer cells are high in iron content, IP6 directs most of its attention to these abnormal cells by selectively removing iron.  That deprives them of their primary growth factor.  IP6 does not remove iron from normal red blood cells which are tightly bound to hemoglobin.  Unlike cancer drugs, healthy cells are not affected with IP6, so IP6 has very low toxicity. [Deliliers GL, British J Haematology 117: 577—87, 2002]

Furthermore, IP6 actually enhances the anti-cancer effects of Adriamycin and Tamoxifen, two commonly used breast cancer drugs. [Tantivejkul K, Breast Cancer Research Treatment 79: 301—12, 2003]  For further research on IP6 on pubmed.gov, click this link.

Cilantro (Coriander) – a very effective chelator.  Many people suffering from mercury exposure report a reduction in the often-cited feeling of disorientation when they consume large quantities of this popular herb.  It appears to work better when combined with chlorella (see below).

Parsley, Alfalfa, and Chlorella (blue-green algae) – all three are powerful chemical and heavy metal chelators.  They help to get your system more alkaline and purify the blood, making it easier for the body to rid itself of wastes with less discomfort or “healing crisis” (which is often felt when the toxic debris coming out of the cells causes you to feel sick or like you have the flu).

Onions and garlic –  The high sulfur content works to eliminate heavy metals.  Eggs, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts and cabbage also have high sulfur content.

Food-Grade Activated Charcoal –  Al Sears, MD recommends his patients utilize food grade activated charcoal for detoxifying heavy metals.  He recommends a total of 20 grams per day, spaced apart in two to four doses, over a 12 day period.

A few more tips:  Remember to replace the good minerals which may be lost during the chelation process with a great quality mineral supplement.  Note that it is best to eliminate heavy metals gently – slower is better than faster – so that the body can reabsorb less and avoid flooding the body with toxic metals that can cause you to feel rotten.  I said it up above and I will repeat it here – it is possible to feel worse after chelation than when you began if you are not well-informed and do not proceed carefully under the care of a competent healthcare practitioner.

References:

http://www.gordonresearch.com/answers/chlorella_and_cilantro.html

http://drsircus.com/medicine/essentials-natural-chelation

http://pubmed.gov

Source of this article:  http://marnieclark.com/category/chelation-treatments/

This article is on Healthwise.

How Sugar Harms Your Brain Health and Drives Alzheimer’s Epidemic

July 24, 2014 

Story at-a-glance

• One in nine seniors over the age of 65 has Alzheimer’s, and the disease is now thought to be the third leading cause of death in the US, right behind heart disease and cancer
• A growing body of research suggests there’s a powerful connection between your diet and your risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, via similar pathways that cause type 2 diabetes
• Recent research shows that sugar and other carbohydrates can disrupt your brain function even if you’re not diabetic or have any signs of dementia
• Long-term, sugar can contribute to the shrinking of your hippocampus, which is a hallmark symptom of Alzheimer's disease
• The researchers propose that lowering glucose levels, even if they’re within the “normal” range, may have a positive influence on cognition in older people

By Dr. Mercola

Alzheimer's disease, a severe form of dementia, affects an estimated 5.2 million Americans, according to 2013 statistics.1

One in nine seniors over the age of 65 has Alzheimer's, and the disease is now thought to be the third leading cause of death in the US, right behind heart disease and cancer.

A growing body of research suggests there's a powerful connection between your diet and your risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, via similar pathways that cause type 2 diabetes.

Contrary to popular belief, your brain does not require glucose, and actually functions better burning alternative fuels, especially ketones, which your body makes in response to digesting healthy fats.

According to some experts, such as Dr. Ron Rosedale, Alzheimer's and other brain disorders may in large part be caused by the constant burning of glucose for fuel by your brain.

Alzheimer's disease was tentatively dubbed "type 3 diabetes" in early 2005 when researchers discovered that in addition to your pancreas, your brain alsoproduces insulin, and this brain insulin is necessary for the survival of brain cells.

Sugar Damages Brain Structure and Function

In your brain, insulin helps with neuron glucose-uptake and the regulation of neurotransmitters, such as acetylcholine, which are crucial for memory and learning. This is why reducing the level of insulin in your brain impairs your cognition.

Research2 has also shown that type 2 diabetics lose more brain volume with age than expected—particularly gray matter. This kind of brain atrophy is yet another contributing factor for dementia.

Studies have found that people with lower levels of insulin and insulin receptors in their brain often have Alzheimer's disease. But according to recent research published in the journal Neurology,3 sugar and other carbohydrates can disrupt your brain function even if you're not diabetic or have any signs of dementia.

To test their theory, they evaluated short- and long-term glucose markers in 141 healthy, non-diabetic, non-demented seniors. Memory tests and brain imaging were administered to assess their brain function and the actual structure of their hippocampus. As reported by Scientific American:4

"Higher levels on both glucose measures were associated with worse memory, as well as a smaller hippocampus and compromised hippocampal structure.

The researchers also found that the structural changes partially accounted for the statistical link between glucose and memory. According to study co-author Agnes Flöel, a neurologist at Charité, the results 'provide further evidence that glucose might directly contribute to hippocampal atrophy.'"

The findings suggest that even if you're not diabetic or insulin resistant (and about 80 percent of Americans fall into the latter category), sugar consumption can still disrupt your memory.

Long-term, it can contribute to the shrinking of your hippocampus, which is a hallmark symptom of Alzheimer's disease. (Your hippocampus is involved with the formation, organization, and storage of memories.)

The authors of the study suggest that "strategies aimed at lowering glucose levels even in the normal range may beneficially influence cognition in the older population."

'Normal' Blood Sugar Levels May Still Be High Enough to Cause Problems

Normally, a fasting blood sugar level between 100-125 mg/dl is diagnosed as a pre-diabetic state. A fasting blood sugar level of 90-100 is considered "normal." But in addition to the featured research, other studies have also found that brain atrophy occurs even in this "normal" blood sugar range.

Neurologist Dr. David Perlmutter, MD insists that being very strict in limiting your consumption of sugar and non-vegetable carbs is one of THE most important steps you can take to prevent Alzheimer's disease for this very reason.

He cites research from the Mayo Clinic, which found that diets rich in carbohydrates are associated with an 89 percent increased risk for dementia. Meanwhile, high-fat diets are associated with a 44 percent reduced risk

Sugar Lobby Threatens Organizations and Buries Science on Health Effects

Compelling research shows that your brain has great plasticity, which you control through your diet and lifestyle choices. Unfortunately, the American public has been grossly brainwashed by the sugar and processed food industries into believing that sugar is a perfectly reasonable "nutrient" that belongs in a healthy diet.  

Without accurate information, it's certainly more difficult to make health-affirming choices. Newsweek5 recently ran an article revealing just how far the sugar industry will go to defend its market share:

"According to a new report6 from the Center for Science and Democracy... industry groups representing companies that sell sweeteners, like the Sugar Association and the Corn Refiners Association... have poured millions of dollars into countering science that indicates negative health consequences of eating their products.

For example, when a University of Southern California study from 2013 found that the actual high fructose corn syrup content in sodas 'varied significantly' from the sugar content disclosed on soda labels, the Corn Refiners Association considered paying for its own counter research.

A consultant suggested that the counter research should only be published if the results aligned with their goal of disputing the USC study: 'If for any reason the results confirm [the University of Southern California study], we can just bury the data,' the consultant wrote, according to the report."

According to the Center for Science report, the Sugar Association even threatened the director general of the World Health Organization (WHO). WHO had published a paper on sugar, recommending a 10 percent limit on added sugars, stating that added sugars "threaten the nutritional quality of diets."

The Sugar Association shot off a letter to the director general, warning him that, unless WHO withdrew the study, the Sugar Association would persuade the US Congress to withdraw the WHO's federal funding. The following year, when WHO published its global health strategy on diet and health, there was no mention of the offending sugar study.

The Sugar Lobby Deserves Blame for Fueling Chronic Disease Epidemics

Indeed, despite overwhelming evidence showing that sugar, and processed fructose in particular, is at the heart of our burgeoning obesity and chronic disease epidemics, the sugar lobby has been so successful in its efforts to thwart the impact of such evidence that there's stillno consensus among our regulatory agencies as to the "factual" dangers of sugar...

According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data,7 13 percent of the average American's diet is sugar. In the UK, a recently published report8 by the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) recommends limiting your added sugar intake to five percent, in order to avoid obesity and type 2 diabetes. They calculate this to be the equivalent of 25 grams of sugar (5-6 teaspoons) per day for women, and 35 grams (7-8 teaspoons) for men.

This matches my own recommendations for healthy, non-insulin resistant individuals—with one key difference. I recommend restricting sugar/fructose consumption to 25 grams from ALL sources, not just added sugar. This includes limiting your non-vegetable carbohydrates as well. Crazy enough, the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition still recommends you get 50 percent of your daily energy intake in the form of starchy carbohydrates, which will undoubtedly and significantly raise your risk of insulin resistance. If you're insulin/leptin resistant, diabetic, overweight, or have high blood pressure, heart disease, or cancer, I recommend restricting your sugar/fructose consumption to a maximum of 15 grams per day from all sources, until your insulin/leptin resistance has been resolved.

Dietary Guidelines for Maintaining Healthy Brain Function and Avoiding Alzheimer's Disease

It's becoming increasingly clear that the same pathological process that leads to insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes may also hold true for your brain. As you over-indulge on sugar and grains, your brain becomes overwhelmed by the consistently high levels of glucose and insulin that blunts its insulin signaling, leading to impairments in your thinking and memory abilities, eventually causing permanent brain damage.

Additionally, when your liver is busy processing fructose (which your liver turns into fat), it severely hampers its ability to make cholesterol, an essential building block of your brain that is crucial for optimal brain function. Indeed, mounting evidence supports the notion that significantly reducing fructose consumption is a very important step for preventing Alzheimer's disease. 

Because of the very limited treatments, and no available cure as of yet, you're really left with just one solid solution, and that is to prevent Alzheimer's from happening to you in the first place. As explained by neurologist Dr. David Perlmutter, Alzheimer's is a disease predicated primarily on lifestyle choices; the two main culprits being excessive sugar and gluten consumption.

Another major factor is the development and increased consumption of genetically engineered (GE) grains, which are now pervasive in most processed foods sold in the US. The beauty of following my optimized nutrition plan is that it helps prevent and treat virtually ALL chronic degenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's. Dr. Perlmutter's book, Grain Brain, also provides powerful arguments for eliminating grains from your diet, particularly if you want to protect the health of your brain. In terms of your diet, the following suggestions may be among the most important for Alzheimer's prevention:

• Avoid sugar and refined fructose. Ideally, you'll want to keep your total sugar and fructose below 25 grams per day, or as low as 15 grams per day if you have insulin resistance or any related disorders. In one recent animal study, a junk food diet high in sugar resulted in impaired memory after just one week!9 Place recognition, specifically, was adversely affected.
As a general rule, you'll want to keep your fasting insulin levels below 3, and this is indirectly related to fructose, as it will clearly lead to insulin resistance. However, other sugars (sucrose is 50 percent fructose by weight), grains, and lack of exercise are also important factors. Lowering insulin will also help lower leptin levels which is another factor for Alzheimer's.
• Avoid gluten and casein (primarily wheat and pasteurized dairy, but not dairy fat, such as butter). Research shows that your blood-brain barrier, the barrier that keeps things out of your brain where they don't belong, is negatively affected by gluten. Gluten also makes your gut more permeable, which allows proteins to get into your bloodstream, where they don't belong. That then sensitizes your immune system and promotes inflammation and autoimmunity, both of which play a role in the development of Alzheimer's.
• Eat a nutritious diet, rich in folate, such as the one described in my nutrition plan. Vegetables, without question, are your best form of folate, and we should all eat plenty of fresh raw veggies every day. Avoid supplements like folic acid, which is the inferior synthetic version of folate.
• Increase consumption of all healthful fats, including animal-based omega-3. Beneficial health-promoting fats that your brain needs for optimal function include organic butter from raw milk, clarified butter called ghee, organic grass fed raw butter, olives, organic virgin olive oil and coconut oil, nuts like pecans and macadamia, free-range eggs, wild Alaskan salmon, and avocado.
Contrary to popular belief, the ideal fuel for your brain is not glucose but ketones. Ketones are what your body produces when it converts fat (as opposed to glucose) into energy. The medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) found in coconut oil are a great source of ketone bodies, because coconut oil is about 66 percent MCTs. In 2010, I published Dr. Mary Newport's theory that coconut oil might offer profound benefits in the fight against Alzheimer's disease. She has sincelaunched one of the first clinical trials of its kind to test this theory.
Also make sure you're getting enough animal-based omega-3 fats, such as krill oil. (I recommend avoiding most fish because, although fish is naturally high in omega-3, most fish are now severely contaminated with mercury.) High intake of the omega-3 fats EPA and DHA help by preventing cell damage caused by Alzheimer's disease, thereby slowing down its progression, and lowering your risk of developing the disorder.
• Optimize your gut flora by regularly eating fermented foods or taking a high-potency and high-quality probiotic supplement
• Eat blueberries. Wild blueberries, which have high anthocyanin and antioxidant content, are known to guard against Alzheimer's and other neurological diseases. 

Other Helpful Dietary Tips and Valuable Supplements

Another helpful tip is to reduce your overall calorie consumption, and/or intermittently fast. As mentioned above, ketones are mobilized when you replace carbs with coconut oil and other sources of healthy fats. A one-day fast can help your body to "reset" itself, and start to burn fat instead of sugar. As part of a healthy lifestyle, I prefer an intermittent fasting schedule that simply calls for limiting your eating to a narrower window of time each day. By restricting your eating to a 6-8 hour window, you effectively fast 16-18 hours each day. To learn more about intermittent fasting, please see this previous article.

Also be aware that when it comes to cholesterol levels and Alzheimer's, lower is NOT better. Quite the contrary. According toDr. Perlmutter, research shows that elderly individuals with the lowest cholesterol levels have the highest risk for Alzheimer's. They also have the highest risk for dying. As he says, the war on cholesterol is fundamentally inappropriate and harmful.

Finally, there's a short list of supplement recommendations worth noting for their specific benefits in preventing and treating dementia. So, although your fundamental strategy for preventing dementia should involve a comprehensive lifestyle approach, you may want to take special note of the following natural dietary agents. These four natural foods/supplements have good science behind them, in terms of preventing age-related cognitive changes:

1. Gingko biloba: Many scientific studies have found that Ginkgo biloba has positive effects for dementia. A 1997 study from JAMA showed clear evidence that Ginkgo improves cognitive performance and social functioning for those suffering from dementia. Another 2006 study found Ginkgo as effective as the dementia drug Aricept (donepezil) for treating mild to moderate Alzheimer's type dementia. A 2010 meta-analysis also found Ginkgo biloba to be effective for a variety of types of dementia.
2. Alpha lipoic acid (ALA): ALA has been shown to help stabilize cognitive functions among Alzheimer's patients and may slow the progression of the disease.
3. Vitamin B12: A small Finnish study published in the journal Neurology10 found thatpeople who consume foods rich in B12 may reduce their risk of Alzheimer's in their later years. For each unit increase in the marker of vitamin B12 the risk of developing Alzheimer's was reduced by two percent. Remember sublingual methylcobalamin may be your best bet here.

Lifestyle Strategies That Can Help Ward off Alzheimer's Disease

Lifestyle choices such as getting regular sun exposure and exercise, along with avoiding toxins, are also important factors when it comes to maintaining optimal brain health. Here are several of my lifestyle suggestions:

• Optimize your vitamin D levels with safe sun exposure. Strong links between low levels of vitamin D in Alzheimer's patients and poor outcomes on cognitive tests have been revealed. Researchers believe that optimal vitamin D levels may enhance the amount of important chemicals in your brain and protect brain cells by increasing the effectiveness of the glial cells in nursing damaged neurons back to health.
Vitamin D may also exert some of its beneficial effects on Alzheimer's through its anti-inflammatory and immune-boosting properties. Sufficient vitamin D is imperative for proper functioning of your immune system to combat inflammation that is also associated with Alzheimer's.
• Exercise regularly. It's been suggested that exercise can trigger a change in the way the amyloid precursor protein is metabolized,11 thus, slowing down the onset and progression of Alzheimer's. Exercise also increases levels of the protein PGC-1alpha. Research has also shown that people with Alzheimer's have less PGC-1alpha in their brains12 and cells that contain more of the protein produce less of the toxic amyloid protein associated with Alzheimer's. I would strongly recommend reviewing the Peak Fitness Technique for my specific recommendations.
• Avoid and eliminate mercury from your body. Dental amalgam fillings, which are 50 percent mercury by weight, are one of the major sources of heavy metal toxicity. However, you should be healthy prior to having them removed. Once you have adjusted to following the diet described in my optimized nutrition plan, you can follow the mercury detox protocol and then find a biological dentist to have your amalgams removed.
• Avoid aluminum, such as antiperspirants, non-stick cookware, vaccine adjuvants, etc.
• Avoid flu vaccinations as most contain both mercury and aluminum, well-known neurotoxic and immunotoxic agents.
• Avoid anticholinergics and statin drugs. Drugs that block acetylcholine, a nervous system neurotransmitter, have been shown to increase your risk of dementia. These drugs include certain nighttime pain relievers, antihistamines, sleep aids, certain antidepressants, medications to control incontinence, and certain narcotic pain relievers.
Statin drugs are particularly problematic because they suppress the synthesis of cholesterol, deplete your brain of coenzyme Q10 and neurotransmitter precursors, and prevent adequate delivery of essential fatty acids and fat-soluble antioxidants to your brain by inhibiting the production of the indispensable carrier biomolecule known as low-density lipoprotein.
• Challenge your mind daily. Mental stimulation, especially learning something new, such as learning to play an instrument or a new language, is associated with a decreased risk of Alzheimer's. Researchers suspect that mental challenge helps to build up your brain, making it less susceptible to the lesions associated with Alzheimer's disease.

[+] Sources and References

Go to Healthwise for more articles

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2014/07/24/sugar-brain-function.aspx?