Dodge Alzheimer’s with "Seeing Red” Diet Trick
By
Dr. Scott Olson, ND
Posted May 8, 2023
What’s for dinner tonight?
It’s a deceptively simple question. Because what you decide to put on your plate actually has an ENORMOUS impact on your health…. including your brain function.
Making smart food choices today can help your brain function better in the future. In fact, your diet can raise or lower your Alzheimer’s risk.
And one of the BEST choices you can make is to switch to a diet you’ve no doubt heard of before. But with a delicious, brain-boosting twist.
I’m sure you’ve at least heard of the Mediterranean diet. This approach to eating includes plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, olive oil, fish, and legumes. At the same time, it eliminates processed foods and sweets.
There’s been a TON of research on the Mediterranean diet. People who naturally eat like this, like those in Greece and Italy, typically live longer, healthier lives.
I’m a BIG fan of the results. But I do have one issue with the diet. And that’s the lack of red meat.
Far too many so-called health professionals continue to parrot this same tired old idea. They insist that red meat is somehow inherently bad for you. The only trouble is that there’s no solid evidence to support the claim.
But now, new research is finally setting the story straight. A study published in the journal Alzheimer’s & Dementia found that eating a modified Mediterranean ketogenic diet... that INCLUDES more delicious red meat… can do wonders for your brain.
The small but impactful study included 20 adults. Nine participants were diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and 11 had normal cognition.
The researchers randomly divided the volunteers into two groups and had them eat either…
- the modified Mediterranean ketogenic diet (high protein, high fat), or a
- low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet
After six weeks and a six-week “washout” period, everyone was switched to the opposite diet for six more weeks.
Your gut microbiome (the overall balance of good and bad bacteria in your gastrointestinal tract) is tied to virtually every aspect of your health, INCLUDING your brain health. So I wasn’t surprised to learn the researchers focused on the gut-brain connection.
When volunteers ate the high-protein, high-fat diet, their gut microbiome improved. But even more exciting is the study suggests folks with MCI may benefit from the diet because it helps balance gamma-amino-butyric acid (GABA) levels.
GABA is the main INHIBITORY neurotransmitter in our central nervous system. However, GABA doesn’t function properly in people with dementia, including Alzheimer’s.
But when the folks with cognitive issues ate the modified KETO diet, they had LOWER levels of GABA and GABA-producing microbes and HIGHER levels of GABA-regulating bacteria.
In other words, the results suggest the diet could help lower the risk of progressing to dementia.
That the high-fat diet is GOOD for your brain shouldn’t be too much of a surprise. After all, our brains are made up mostly of fat. This is why earlier studies found that avoiding fat is bad for your brain.
So, go ahead and add some steak to your dinner plate. Red meat is BACK on the menu.
Just be sure to keep the carbohydrates low and eat lots of nutritious low-sugar veggies. It’s the perfect recipe for a healthy brain as you grow older.
P.S. Brain health isn’t the ONLY reason to serve steak tonight. Discover why you NEVER should skip the red meat.
Source:
“Effects of a ketogenic and low-fat diet on the human metabolome, microbiome, and foodome in adults at risk for Alzheimer’s disease,” Alzheimer’s & Dementia, First published: 05 April 2023, https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.13007
Written By Dr. Scott Olson, ND
Nearly 25 years ago, failed mainstream medical treatments left Dr. Olson in constant pain – and his health in ruins. And that’s when he did something REVOLUTIONARY. He began his career in medicine – and dedicated his life to uncovering the true, underlying causes of disease.
Through his innovative medical practices in Tennessee and Colorado, Dr. Olson has helped cure countless seniors from across America of arthritis… heart disease… diabetes… and even cancer. All without risky prescription drugs or painful surgeries.
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