At our naturopathic clinic in North Vancouver, we believe Diet counseling is a foundation when it comes to the prevention of Alzheimer’s disease and Dementia.

When it comes to prevention of neurological disease, polyphenols are a must.

What are polyphenols?

Polyphenols are compounds found in natural plant food. They have antioxidant, and disease preventative properties. Among many, for example, they help with

  • Promoting brain health, and protecting against dementia
  • Protecting your skin against ultraviolet radiation
  • Fighting free radicals, and reducing the process of aging
  • Fighting cancer cells and inhibiting the growth of blood vessels that feed a tumor.
  • Reducing inflammation in autoimmune conditions
  • Supporting normal blood sugar levels in diabetes
  • Protecting your cardiovascular system
  • Promoting normal blood pressure

How to Optimize the Polyphenols in Your Diet?

There are over 8,000 identified polyphenols found in foods such as tea, wine, chocolates, fruits, vegetables, and extra virgin olive oil, just to name a few.

 

Dietary advice for Prevention of Dementia and Alzheimer’s

The European Journal of Clinical Nutrition has published a list of the 100 richest dietary sources of polyphenols, based on milligrams (mg) per 100 grams (g) of food.  Try to keeping at least three of the spices, nuts, and berries in the list below in your diet every day. These are the 20 top foods on that list:

Cloves Peppermint Star anise Raw cacao
Mexican oregano Celery seed Dark chocolate Fresh Flaxseed meal
Black elderberry Chestnut seeds Dried sage Rosemary
Spearmint Thyme Blueberries Blackcurrant
Capers Black olive Hazelnuts Pecans