Can Alzheimer’s Disease be Treated with Fruits or Herbs?
Recently I read an article published on Neurology, a prestigious scientific journal. In this paper they found some fruits, vegetables and herbs can help slow down Alzheimer’s disease progress. I would like to share with you their findings and my thoughts.
https://n.neurology.org/content/100/7/e694
Based on American CDC data, Alzheimer’s disease is one of the top 10 leading causes of death in the United States. It is the 5th leading cause of death among adults aged 65 years or older. In year of 2020, there are an estimated 5.8 million Americans aged 65 years or older has AD. 1 out of 9.8 people is affected by this disease. It is greater than 10%. (https://www.cdc.gov/aging/aginginfo
/alzheimers.htm)
In UK, AD is also most common in people over the age of 65. In 2021, 1 out of 14 people over the age of 65 is affected by Alzheimer’s disease. (https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/alzheimers-disease/)
1 out of 10 vs. 1 out of 14! WOW. There is 40% more ADs in US than in UK?!
WHAT CAUSED SUCH HUGE DIFFERENCE?
The answer could be found on the dining tables.
Now, let’s get back to the research paper mentioned in the beginning. This study has 961 participants with age from 60 to 100. Through this 6.9 years study, they found that higher dietary intake of total flavonols was associated with a slower rate of decline in global cognition. Out of the four major flavonols, kaempferol and quercetin are associated with slower global cognitive decline. In other words, these two flavonols help slow down the Alzheimer’s disease progress.
OK. We know intakes of flavonols can help slow down AD progress. How this matter the higher chance of AD in US than in UK?
Another studies found that flavonols intake in the US ranges between 9.0–36.2 mg/day which is lower than the 51 mg/day intake reported in the United Kingdom.
The LOWER intakes of flavonols in US could be a reason for 40% higher AD patients than in UK.
This makes sense, right?
The following question is where can we find kaempferol and quercetin? Good news is those flavonols are in delicious fruits, vegetables and drinks.
From 100 grams of plants, spinach contains 55 mg kaempferol. Kale has 47 mg. Onions mainly contains quercetin and it has 45 mg from 100 gram. Dill is another vegetable containing high amount of both quercetin and kaempferol, 79 mg and 40mg. Tea drink contains 1.7 mg kaempferol in 100ml. If drink 2 cups of tea in a day, you intake 8mg of kaempferol which is more than the average intakes in US. The average intakes of quercetin and kaempferol among adults are 3.5 and 5.4 mg/day. If you can eat 10 gram of spinach a day, you are also in the high range.
The next table * gives you concentration of the flavonols containing in some examples of plants.
| Source Food | Quercetin mg/100g | Kaempferol Fresh Weight |
|---|---|---|
|
Apples |
4.01 |
0.14 |
|
Asparagus |
14.0 |
1.40 |
|
Broccoli |
13.7 |
7.20 |
|
Chili Pepper |
32.6 |
- |
|
Chinese Cabbage |
- |
22.5 |
|
Kale |
22.6 |
47.0 |
|
Leeks |
0.9 |
2.67 |
|
Onions |
45.0 |
4.50 |
|
Spinach |
27.2 |
55.0 |
|
Chives |
10.4 |
12.5 |
|
Dill |
79.0 |
40.0 |
|
Fennel Leaves |
46.8 |
6.50 |
|
Oregano |
42.0 |
- |
|
Blueberry |
14.6 |
3.17 |
|
Cherry |
17.4 |
5.14 |
|
Cranberry |
25.0 |
0.21 |
|
Wild Leeks |
8.36 |
5.31 |
|
Beverage |
mg/100 ml |
|
|
Black Tea |
2.50 |
1.70 |
|
Red Wine |
3.16 |
0.25 |
Besides eating those delicious foods, herb essential oil aromatherapy could be another friendly method to help slow down AD progress.
A medical study in Japan examined the curative effects of aromatherpay in dementia in 28 elderly people, 17 of whom had Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Aromatherapy was performed over 28 days. It consisted of the use of rosemary and lemon essential oils in the morning, and lavender and orange in the evening. The results are very promising. All patients showed significant improvement in cognitive function. Also no side effects were tested with the use of aromatherapy. Even this is a small group study, but it presented aromatherapy a possible efficacious non-pharmacological therapy for AD.
Do you know you can make fresh and 100% authentic rosemary essential oil & hydrosol and lavender essential oil & hydrosol at home? Read this DISTILLATION 101 blog to have details about distillation.
Eat more vegetables and fruits, drink more tea, and use more herbs. These are my recommendations for you to keep healthier!
*https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles /PMC6835347