Alzheimer’s disease is a type of brain disease that affects memory, thinking ability, and behavior. It starts as mild forgetfulness and confusion and then the effects eventually grow so severe that it begins to interfere with daily tasks. This can lead to changes in personality and other symptoms, for example, depression, mood swings, low self-esteem, and social withdrawal, among others.
Alzheimer’s is the common cause of dementia. It has no known cure but there is no evidence that dieting can help prevent Alzheimer’s disease although good dieting can help keep the brain healthy.
Classification of Alzheimer’s Disease
Alzheimer’s disease can be classified based on the following:
- Severity: Mild, moderate, and severe Alzheimer’s disease
- Inflammatory Response: Inflammatory, non-Inflammatory, and cortical.
- Onset or Trigger Type: Early-Onset Alzheimer’s disease (EOAD), Late-Onset Alzheimer’s disease (LOAD), familial Alzheimer’s disease (FAD).
Let us discuss a little the classification based on trigger type.
- Early-Onset Alzheimer’s disease (EOAD): It is a type of Alzheimer’s that occurs in individuals younger than 65 years old. Although not always heard of like the more common late-onset Alzheimer’s (LOAD). Both differ significantly. Early-Onset Alzheimer’s comprises about 5-10% of Alzheimer’s and is linked to treatment failure, an unfriendly course, and age-related mental requirements.The care for Early-Onset Alzheimer’s is like that of Late-Onset Alzheimer’s, but additional attention should be given to the appropriate age, mental education, and support as well as targeting the precise cognitive regions implicated.
- Late-Onset Alzheimer’s disease (LOAD): This is the disease’s most predominant kind, which affects persons 65 and older. It could be genetic, or it might not be. Experts have still not identified a specific gene responsible for it. Nobody is apparent as to why some people are experiencing it while others do not.
- Familial Alzheimer’s disease (FAD): This is a type of Alzheimer’s that has a known genetic basis, according to medical professionals. The name ‘familial’ comes from the family. Members of at least two generations have suffered the illness within affected families.Only about 1% of all occurrences of Alzheimer’s are caused by familial Alzheimer’s. The majority of those with early-onset Alzheimer’s have familial Alzheimer’s disease.
Symptoms
All types of Alzheimer’s disease present with the same symptoms some of which include:
- Loss of memory that interferes with daily living.
- Difficulties in problem-solving or planning.
- A challenge finishing routine duty at work, home, or in leisure.
- A hazy sense of time or place.
- Difficulty comprehending former relationships and visual pictures.
- New difficulties in writing or communicating with words.
Complications
Diabetes, cerebrovascular disease, and other heart and blood circulation issues are much more prevalent in Alzheimer’s patients than in the overall population. Also, the inability to communicate or carry on discussions, movement or swallowing challenges. Unable to distinguish between known persons, places, and/or time, and the inability to engage in activities, such as personal care and daily activities.
Alzheimer’s Disease can be prevented with Diet Management
There is currently no proof that feeding or avoiding a particular diet helps fend off Alzheimer’s or age-related memory loss. Although digestion and feeding affect how the brain develops/changes.
Clinical experts are discovering that the millions of viruses, bacteria, and other microbes in the digestive tract known as the gut microbiome may have an impact on the start and progression of Alzheimer’s.
Considering the above, prevention efforts are focusing more on the right diet. When preventive measures are implemented before Alzheimer’s symptoms appear, they are most effective. The likelihood of being healthy for a longer period is increased when the diet, quantity of synapses, intelligence, and neuropathological alterations in the nervous system balance each other out. Therefore, researchers are still searching for hints on Alzheimer’s dieting.
A daily dose of leafy green vegetables like spinach was linked to a reduced rate of age-related Alzheimer’s, according to a study based on the dietary habits of older people. This conclusion may be due to the neuroprotective properties of specific nutrients contained in vegetables.
Regular fish consumption is linked to better cognitive function. A slower rate of cognitive loss as people age, according to research. Many over-the-counter vitamins and nutritional supplements, including vitamins B and E, have been studied in clinical trials to slow mental impairment or prevent Alzheimer’s.
These dietary supplements are believed to reduce oxidative stress or inflammation, safeguard nerve cells, or have an impact on other processes related to Alzheimer’s.
Conclusion
People living with Alzheimer’s disease do not need a special diet unless other medical conditions, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, or high cholesterol, were also diagnosed in them and need to be controlled. Persons with Alzheimer’s may forget to eat and drink, forget the steps involved in cooking, lose their appetite due to the medications they are taking, change in medication dosage, or due to depression, and may even lose interest in activities they once found interesting.
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