Although there are some effective pharmaceutical treatments for dementia, there is a host of natural remedies for this condition that are just as effective, yet mostly overlooked by a majority of the medical community. For starters, recent research has found a link between a high-fat diet and Alzheimer’s disease. There is also a possible link between aluminum and dementia, so it’s important to avoid cooking with saucepans and utensils made from aluminum.

The best defense against dementia and many degenerative diseases is eating a low-fat diet that is high in fruit and vegetables. Of particular help in reducing the risk of dementia is a diet of colorful fruit and vegetables containing antioxidants, such as vitamins A, C, E, zinc and selenium. For extra vitamin E, include in your diet brown rice, wheat germ, nuts and olive oil (a ‘good fat’). Important brain foods include shellfish, all kinds of beans and dark, oily fish.

Khalsa's Brain Longevity Program

Dr. Dharma Singh Khalsa, America’s #1 brain longevity specialist, has developed a four-part treatment program to help improve brain function. All parts of the program are interrelated and involves the following:• diet and nutrition• stress management• exercise and lifestyle changes• medication/supplementsThe largest part of Khalsa’s dietary principals involve the kinds of foods to avoid. Knowing this and following it is half the battle. Follow this elimination part of the program and you’re halfway home:

• eliminate dairy milk from the diet• eliminate red meats and processed meats

• eliminate fast foods and fried foods altogether. They contain too many free-radical-forming agents•

reduce alcohol consumption• eliminate any foods containing aspartame/Nutrasweet/Equal or saccharine

• avoid antacids, especially if they contain aluminum

• avoid citrates

• check heavy metal status• check food sensititvity, especially to milk and wheat

• eliminate licorice – it potentiates cortisol, and compromises potassium intake which can lead to hypokalemia

• avoid hypoglycemia (low blood sugar states). Soy is excellent for this condition; grazing with good foods minimizes risk of hypoglycemia

The following are dietary choices you should make in order to reduce symptoms of dementia, or reduce any chances of developing it at all:

• low fat intake – only essential fatty acids, especially the omega-3s

• eat nutrient-dense foods, that is unrefined or minimally refined, and preferably organic, fresh foods

• low-calorie program of 1500 – 2000

• select your diet from a broad cross-section of foods – fruits, vegetables including legumes, nuts and seeds, and whole grains (brown rice, soy beans, oats, millet, buckwheat)

• feed your neurotransmitters with acetyl-choline, which is abundant in such foods as soy, chlorophyll-rich foods, whole grains, egg yolk, lecithin, beans and liver

The vitamin regimen under Kahlsa’s program consists of the following: Vitamin A; Vitamin B (B1, B3, B6, folate and B12); Vitamin C; Vitamin E; magnesium, zinc, selenium, amino acids, lecithin, phosphatidyl serine in capsule form, acetyl L-carnitine, green juices high in chlorophyll (spirulina, wheat grass, chlorella); green tea; coenzyme Q10; probiotics; ginkgo biloba; panax ginseng; nettles and horsetail; and garlic.