High Protein Diet May Shrink Brain Say Alzheimer's -- Researchers

[HuckleB]

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/168211.php

"Researchers observing the effects of various diets on the brains of genetically engineered mice bred for studying Alzheimer's disease found quite unexpectedly that mice fed a high protein, low carbohydrate diet, developed brains that were five per cent lighter than those of mice fed other diets.

The study was the work of lead author, Sam Gandy, a professor at The Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City and a neurologist at the James J Peters Veterans Affairs Medical Center in the Bronx NY, and colleagues from research centers in the US, Canada, Australia and the UK. The study is published this week in BioMed Central's open access journal Molecular Neurodegeneration.

Many other studies have already suggested that low calorie, low fat diets rich in vegetables, fruits, and fish may delay or slow down Alzheimer's disease, so Gandy and colleagues decided to take this a step further and compare the effects of several different diets on mice that were genetically engineered to have some of the disease characteristics of Alzheimer's.

..."

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That's not what I wanted to read! I wanted them to say bacon was protective against Alzheimer's! ;)

[Captain Hilts]

1. The very low carb diets make you stupid because your brain needs carbs.

It works all the faster if you work out while doing it.

[BadgerKid]

3. Those two clauses are not nec. related, in theory.

Yes, the brain runs off carbs (glucose). No, very low carb diets are not necessarily a problem. Through gluconeogensis, the body can convert other carbon sources into glucose. So after a few to 7 days off "brain fog", the body adapts.

Or so in theory. I suppose there could be some genetic mutation that hinders this conversion, which would then require more dietary sugar.

[Captain Hilts]

4. It slows your brain down. I first heard Sly Stallone, of all people mention

this waaaay back when he was talking about filming Rocky.

I had a friend who noticed the same thing. If you work out, it's really noticeable.

[virgogal]

2. Another day,another study. Ignore them all and eat a well balanced diet.

[Captain Hilts]

5. Yep. That's the best solution. nt

[HuckleB]

6. And how do we know what makes up a well-balanced diet?

By guessing?

[trotsky]

7. It's so easy.

Just take one item from each position on the food pyramid. Like this!

1 sixteen ounce steak, 1 piece of broccoli, 1 slice of banana, 1 dinner roll, 1 pound of cheese, and 1 twelve pack of beer to wash it all down.

Perfectly balanced - 1 of everything!

[HuckleB]

9. LOL!

Nice.

[virgogal]

8. Yep----good old fashioned common sense. Generations survived

that way and didn't have the choices we have.

[HuckleB]

10. "Common sense."

Do you not recognize how much "common sense" turned out to be BS, once the subject was studied?

[virgogal]

11. Anyone who undertakes a study of "common sense" has none---- and

also has too much time on his/her hands.

[HuckleB]

13. Anyone who doesn't understand that the world has been filled with "common sense" that was debunked..

....by studies is ignoring the real world.

[LeftishBrit]

16. It's not a matter of studying "common sense" as such, but of studying health outcomes...

without too many preconceived opinions based on conventional practices *or* on scares.

[LeftishBrit]

15. And generations failed to survive, too.

100 years ago, the average life expectancy was under 50. A lot of this was due to infant mortality, but even those who survived childhood didn't usually live to advanced old age. People didn't have to worry so much about Alzheimers, because few people lived to the age where it's common.

I certainly don't believe in jumping from one new diet to another, on the basis of a single study with mice; but I also don't think that we should use health practices of the past as a model for the present.

[Quantess]

12. The "Mediterranean diet" is well known to be associated with good health.

A lot of vegetables, grains, and a little meat.

[HuckleB]

14. Yes.

And how do we know that?