Food for Thought: Good Health Starts with Your Brain

We all want to keep our minds sharp as we age. Alzheimer's is a horrid disease that effects all aspects of life, but we tend to forget that our brains need exercise and proper nutrition just like the rest of us.

Take that spinach salad, that besides being good for your waistline, is literally food for thought as well, says the Healthy Aging Partnership, a coalition of 40 Puget Sound-area organizations dedicated to the health and well-being of older adults.

An estimated 4.5 million Americans have Alzheimer's disease as of 2013, the most common form of dementia, and that number is expected to grow as the first baby boomers begin to turn 65, according to the National Alzheimer's Association. Given the odds, it’s not surprising that Americans age 55 and older fear Alzheimer's more than other diseases, including cancer, according to a 2011 MetLife Foundation survey.

The good news is, "the lifestyle choices you make now can improve your brain health and lower your risk for dementia," says Dr. Jane Tornatore, family care consultant with the Alzheimer's Association, Western and Central Washington State Chapter. “Even a simple mental exercise like driving a different route home helps to create new brain pathways,” she says.

Here are some tips to get your on your way: 

Feed your brain: Eat a low-fat, low-cholesterol diet that is rich in antioxidants and vitamins E, C and B-12; folate; and omega-3 fatty acids. That translates to generous portions of dark-colored vegetables and fruits (including kale, spinach, broccoli, beets, red bell peppers, tomatoes and berries); cold-water fish (including halibut, mackerel and salmon); and nuts (including almonds, pecans and walnuts). 

Move your body: Physical exercise - even as little as a daily 30-minute walk - promotes blood flow to the brain. 

Exercise your brain: Mental exercises - reading, writing, games and puzzles - build up brain-cell reserves and improve connections. 

Check the numbers: Keep your weight, blood pressure, cholesterol and blood-sugar levels in check and within recommended ranges. 

Cut the bad fat: Foods high in saturated fat and cholesterol are associated with an increased risk of Alzheimer's. Use mono- and polyunsaturated fats, such as olive oil or coconut oil, and pick baked or grilled instead of fried. 

Socialize: Those who regularly interact with other people, particularly during activities that also involve mental and physical exercise, lower their risk of dementia. So join that book club, take that dance lesson or volunteer at your local charity. 

Protect your head: Head injuries have been linked to an increased risk for later Alzheimer's disease and other dementias as well. Remember safety first; so wear your seatbelt and put that helmet on. Making minor changes around the house may also prevent falls. 

Mind your meds: Check with your doctor if a new medication doesn't feel right or if you are concerned about the interaction of multiple medications. Make a system, like setting alarms or keeping them in a visible place, so you'll take them at the time they are prescribed. 

Break habit: Find your sense of adventure! Walk a different path, eat or brush your teeth using your non-dominant hand, seek out out types of food you've never tried. These seemingly minor things create new brain pathways, and the more you have the better.


Resources:
MetLife Foundation (2011). Retrieved from https://www.metlife.com/assets/cao/contributions/foundation/alzheimers-2011.pdf

National Alzheimer's Association (2013). Retrieved from http://www.alz.org/research/overview.asp

Alzheimer's Disease: Meet Rick Phelps of Memory People

Meet Rick Phelps.

Rick worked 24+ years in law enforcement and as an EMT in Coshocton County, Ohio. He is a husband, father and grandfather. In June of 2010 at the age of 57, Rick was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's disease.

Of all the people who have Alzheimer's disease, just about 5 percent develop symptoms before the age of 65, sometimes as early as their 30s.

Alzheimer’s Disease is stomping onto the radar of public health organizations, home health agencies, and hospitals. In 2012, Alzheimer’s disease became the 6^th leading cause of death in the United States. In fact, 1 in 3 seniors die with Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia. It’s estimated that Alzheimer's will cost the nation $203 billion in the year 2013. This number is expected to rise to $1.2 trillion by 2050.

When Rick was given this devastating diagnosis, he saw the need for action. Using a platform that millions were already familiar with, Facebook, he created a group called Memory People. This Alzheimer's and dementia support group invites patients, caregivers, advocates and family members to share their journey, find comfort and understanding, and receive support. That was in November of 2010. Memory People is now approaching their 5,000th member.

In 2012 he co-wrote the song "While I Still Can" with his long time friend, Dan Mitchell. "While I Still Can" was written as a tribute to all those affected by dementia as it describes the love and loss that has come into his life since his diagnosis. Rick has also released a book, his story, under the same title, which takes the reader on a roller-coaster ride as he describes the years following his diagnosis. Rick has become a strong advocate for Alzheimer's Awareness, and he continues to change lives, one person at a time.

This Monday, December 2nd of 2013, I will have the pleasure of speaking with two of Rick's assistants: Mrs. Leeanne Chames and Mrs. Michele DeSocio. We will be discussing stories behind Alzheimer's Disease, available resources, and means of raising awareness of early onset Alzheimer's disease, Alzheimer's, and various types of Dementia. Meet us Monday, at 4pmPT/7pmET at #Nurseup. 

If you or a loved one have been touched by Alzheimer’s or another dementia-related disease, we encourage you to join us. 

Brain Fitness Puzzles For Those With Alzheimer’s and Dementia

It's a common question: 

Do puzzles help those with Alzheimer’s and dementia?

Karen Miller, owner/developer of Memory Jogging Puzzles, responds: 

"It all depends upon the puzzle."

There are many important factors to consider when deciding if a puzzle is beneficial for those with Alzheimers or dementia.

I feel until you have spent time with Alzheimer and dementia patients, you don’t realize how important small details are, the ones we take for granted.

My mother was always working on large puzzles and didn’t have any problems picking up those tiny, thin cardboard pieces and finding the right place to put them. She could move around and stretch across the cardboard table to fetch any piece she wanted. But, after her stroke and being paralyzed on her right side, things were different. She could not move at all on her right side and couldn’t lean across the table to pick up a puzzle piece.

She was a little shaky doing things with her left hand and unable to voice how she felt made it more frustrating.

My father was her caregiver and I remember like it was yesterday, dad bringing home a small childs puzzle with baby chick theme.

Mom didn’t put it together, she just cried. Later we discovered she was embarrassed and felt humiliated because it was a child’s puzzle and she was not a child.

Her disabilities made it difficult to find activities she could do without becoming frustrated. Her frustrations were embedded in my memory and her needs became my model for memory jogging puzzles and memory exercise card games.

One size puzzle does NOT meet everyone’s needs.

There are several large piece puzzles on the market. I have heard, some of these puzzle pieces are too large, making it difficult for elderly to handle. And, the completed puzzle is too big, making it difficult for people to find, reach and put in place puzzle pieces.

If your loved one has disabilities, the best puzzle size is one that keeps puzzle and puzzle pieces visible and within reach. Large chunky pieces are great for those with arthritis, shaky or large hands, giving them substance to feel and hang on to.

Beneficial Puzzles

Puzzles that are beneficial do not frustrate the individual. Puzzles with too many pieces are frustrating to elderly, seniors with dementia and Alzheimer’s patients. If the puzzle has too many pieces, most likely it will not be completed during activity time. Many think this isn’t a problem, I’ve observed this scene and it is a problem. Especially when there are different levels of individuals putting the puzzle together. In order to have a good feeling of accomplishment the puzzle should be completed.

Many times individuals are brought up to the tables in a wheelchair to work on large puzzles. They have limitations; this is not a fun activity. They are given a few pieces to work with, 99% of the time their pieces don’t fit any other piece near them. They sit there, knowing they should find the spot where the pieces go and they can’t. They get frustrated and want to leave. This is frustrating to me.

It is best if you can work one-on-one.

You must choose a puzzle you feel the individual can complete. It is better to have a puzzle with fewer pieces; one they can complete, rather than one more difficult; they can’t do and become frustrated. Yes, you should help them occasionally, but if you are doing the entire puzzle, you are getting the brain exercise not them. You need a puzzle with fewer pieces even then you may need to assist them.

Some websites offer only 12 piece puzzles, I’m sorry but a 12 piece puzzle is too difficult for those in the middle stages of dementia. Some even struggle with a 6 piece.

For many seniors with dementia it has been a long time since they have put a puzzle together. Be patient with them, assist them if needed and most will recall what they are supposed to do and enjoy the moment.

When looking for a puzzle for your loved one, ask yourself if the puzzle meets these needs.

• Is the puzzle age appropriate? This will help your loved one keep their dignity.

• Will the theme capture their attention? It has to capture their attention to motivate them to participate in putting the puzzle together.

• Is the puzzle too large with many small pieces? If so you may want to choose another one. Large puzzles with many pieces, most likely will be frustrating and the person will give up trying. You may see tears rather than a smile.

• Are the pieces large and easy to hang on to? If puzzle pieces are too small or too thin, those with arthritis, shaky or large hands may have difficulty picking the pieces up.

• Does the puzzle have storytelling theme or is it an object? Storytelling themes stimulate memories, emotions and conversations better than objects.

• Is puzzle small with few pieces? Completion builds self-esteem, confidence and stimulates a good feeling of success.

Choose a puzzle you feel the individual will enjoy putting together easily without frustration.

Trivia: Adult puzzles emerged around 1900. In 1908, puzzles were a full-blown craze in the United States. In 2008, Memory Jogging Puzzles developed the first age appropriate wooden puzzle with storytelling themes, designed specifically to meet needs of elderly and Alzheimer patients. http://memoryjoggingpuzzles.com

©2013 Karen Miller, owner/developer of Memory Jogging Puzzles

Resource Photo - Photobucket

Breakthrough: Scientists make Giant Leaps to Cure Alzheimer's and Parkinson's

Scientists have taking a large step in the search for a medicine that could beat Alzheimer's disease, after a drug-like compound was used to halt brain cell death in mice for the first time.

Although the prospect of a pill for Alzheimer's remains a long way off, a recent British study provides a major parting of the seas for future drug treatments. The compound works by blocking a faulty signal in the brain that is affected by neurodegenerative diseases, which shuts down the production of essential proteins, leading to brain cells being unprotected and dying off.

A Computer image of the brain of an Alzheimer's patient
                       (credit: Science photo library)                  

It was tested in mice with prion disease - the best animal model of human brain degeneration. Scientists say they are confident the same principles would apply in a human brain with regard to diseases such as Alzheimer's or Parkinson's.

The study was carried out at the Medical Research Council's (MRC) Toxicology Unit at the University of Leicester  and published in early October of 2013 in the journal Science Translational Medicine.

“It's a real step forward,” team leader Professor Giovanna Mallucci told The Independent. “It's the first time a substance has been given to mice that prevents brain disease. The fact that this is a compound that can be given orally, that gets into the brain and prevents brain disease, is a first in itself… We can go forward and develop better molecules and I can't see why preventing this process should only be restricted to mice. I think this probably will translate into other mammalian brains.”

In devastating brain diseases like Alzheimer's, the production of new proteins in the brain is turned off by a build-up of misfolded proteins called "amyloids". This build-up leads to an over-activation of our brains natural defense mechanism that stops other essential proteins from being produced. Without these proteins to protect us, the brain cells die off slowly on their own, leading to the progression of the disease and eventually presenting symptoms.

The compound used in the study works by inhibiting an enzyme, known as PERK, which plays a key role in activating this defense mechanism. In mice with prion's disease, it restored proteins to protect brain cells “stopping the disease in its tracks”. Over time, it actually began to alleviate symptoms and reduce memory loss.

Unfortunately the compound also produced significant side effects in the mice, including weight loss and mild diabetes. Professor Mallucci said it would “not be impossible” to develop a drug that protected the brain without the side effects and that work towards doing so has been “very promising”.

The breakthrough has been very well accepted by neurologists, although some caution that although this may be significant proof of principle and a possible basis for new treatments, it does not guarantee an cure for Alzheimer's will be revealed in the near future.

Professor Roger Morris, acting head King's College London's department of chemistry, said: “This is the first convincing report that a small drug, of the type most conveniently turned into medicines, stops the progressive death of neurons in the brain as found, for instance, in Alzheimer's disease. True, this study has been done in mice, not man; and it is prion disease, not Alzheimer's, that has been cured.  However, there is considerable evidence that the way neurons die in both diseases is similar; and lessons learned in mice from prion disease have proved accurate guides to attenuate the progress of Alzheimer's disease in patients.”

“From finding the first effective drug in a mouse, to having an effective medicine in man, usually takes decades to bring to fruition, in the very few cases in which it is successful. So, a cure for Alzheimer's is not just around the corner. However, the critical point of principle made by Professor Mallucci's study is that a drug, given orally, can arrest neurodegeneration caused by amyloid in the brain. This finding, I suspect, will be judged by history as a turning point in the search for medicines to control and prevent Alzheimer's disease.“ 

David Allsopp, professor of neuroscience at Lancaster University said that the study had thrown up ”very dramatic and highly encouraging results“, but said that more research was needed to overcome the "problematic side-effects" and to prove itself as a realistic treatment against diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.

According to the Alzheimer's Association, there are more than 5 million people in the U.S. who have Alzheimer's disease today. In fact, it is listed as the 6th leading cause of death. In 2013, Alzheimer's will cost the nation $203 billion. This number is expected to rise to $1.2 trillion by 2050. 

10 Resources Every Caregiver Should Know About

Here’s a list of must-have resources to help you in your caregiving role:

1. Alzheimer's Association
Information and support for people with Alzheimer’s disease and their caregivers. Operates a 24/7 helpline and care navigator tools.

2. Alzheimers.gov
The government’s free information resource about Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.

3. ARCH Respite Resources 
Find programs and services that allow caregivers to get a break from caring for a loved one.

4. Family Caregiver Alliance 
Information, education and services for family caregivers, including the Family Care Navigator, a state-by-state list of services and assistance.

5. Medicare.gov
Provides information about the parts of Medicare, what’s new and how to find Medicare plans, facilities or providers.

6. National Family Caregiver Association 
Information and education for family caregivers; includes the Caregiver Community Action Network, a volunteer support network in over 40 states.

7. LongTermCare.gov
Information and tools to plan for future long-term care needs.

8. Social Security  
Information on retirement and disability benefits, including how to sign up.

9. State Health Insurance Assistance Program 
A program that offers one-on-one insurance counseling and assistance to people with Medicare and their families.

10. Veterans Affairs 
Support and services for families caring for veterans along with a VA caregiver support line.


BONUS!

11. Healthy Now and Later
Fact-sheets for common health topics (in Spanish and English), an "Ask a Nurse" option for further explanation and tips, disease-specific meal plans and recipes, a nation-wide database of financial assistance and not-for-profits for caregivers and seniors, and more.

Feel free to add a resource that you know of as a comment below. 

How to keep-your-brain well into the golden years

Contrary to popular belief, recent studies have found that there are probably ways to regenerate brain matter.

Animal studies conducted at the National Institute on Aging Gerontology Research Center and the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, for example, have shown that both calorie restriction and intermittent fasting along with vitamin and mineral intake, increase resistance to disease, extend lifespan, and stimulate production of neurons from stem cells.

In addition, fasting has been shown to enhance synaptic elasticity, possibly increasing the ability for successful re-wiring following brain injury. These benefits appear to result from a cellular stress response, similar to that of the muscular regeneration that results from the stress from exercise.

Additional research suggests that increasing time intervals between meals might be a better choice than chronic calorie restriction.

But if your not keen on starving yourself, there are other options. Another recent finding, stemming from the Burnham Institute for Medical Research and Iwate University in Japan, reports that the herb rosemary contains an ingredient that fights off free radical damage in the brain. The active ingredient, known as carnosic acid (CA), can protect the brain from stroke and degeneration of the neurons such as in Alzheimer’s disease.

Although researchers are patenting more potent forms of isolated compounds in this herb, unlike most new drugs, simply using the rosemary in its natural state may be the most safe and clinically tolerated because it is known to get into the brain and has been consumed by people for thousands of years. 

Another brain booster that Bruce N. Ames, Ph.D., a professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at the University of California, Berkeley, swears by his daily 800 mg of alpha-lipoic acid and 2,000 mg of acetyl-L-carnitine. These chemicals are said to boost the energy output of our cells. In a study of elderly rats, those on these supplements had more energy and ran mazes better.

Omega-3s fatty acids found in walnuts and fatty fish (such as salmon, sardines, and lake trout) are thought to help ward off Alzheimer's disease. In addition, they likely help prevent depression and have been shown to help prevent sudden death from heart attack--all good news.

Turmeric, typically found in curry, contains curcumin, a chemical with potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. In India, it is even used as a salve to help heal wounds. East Asians also eat it, which might explain their lower rates (in comparison to the United States) of Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, and various cancers. If curry isn’t part of your favorite cuisines, there are curcumin supplement of 500 to 1,000 mg.

Physical exercise may also have beneficial effects on neuron regeneration by stimulating regeneration of brain and muscle cells via activation of stress proteins and the production of growth factors. However, some research suggests that not all exercise is equal. Interestingly, some researchers found that exercise that was considered a drudgery to the participant was not beneficial in neuronal regeneration. On the other hand, physical activity that was "fun", even if equal time was spent and equal calories were burned, resulted in neuronal regeneration.

Exercise can also help reduce stress, but any stress-reducing activity, such as meditation and lifestyle changes, can help the brain. There is some evidence that chronic stress shrinks the parts of the brain involved in learning, memory, and mood. 

It should go without saying that short-term cognitive and physical performance is not boosted by fasting, due to metabolic changes including decrease in body temperature, decreased heart rate and blood pressure and decreased glucose and insulin levels, so don't bother planning a marathon or a demanding work session during a fasting period.

As part of a healthy lifestyle moderate food intake, exercising, and eating anti-oxidant rich foods, has long been known to boost longevity, but it’s good to know that we can bring our brains along with us as we make it into those golden years.

References:
Anson, R. M., Guo, Z, de Cabo, R., Iyun, T., Rios, M., Hagepanos, A., Ingram, D. K., Lane, M. A.  & Mattson, M. P. (2003, April 30). Intermittent fasting dissociates beneficial effects of dietary restriction on glucose metabolism and neuronal resistance to injury from calorie intake. National Academy of Sciences Online Early Edition.

Duan, W., Guo, Z., Jaing, H., Ware, M., Li, X-J., & Mattson, M. P. (2003). Dietary Restriction Normalizes Glucose Metabolism and Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Levels, Slows Disease Progression and Increases Survival in Huntington Mutant Mice. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Online Early Edition.

Jaret, P., & Martin, A. (2003). Miss a meal, add years to your life. Health, 17(9), 41-44.

Von Bubnoff, A., & Lloyd, J. (2006). Prevention's anti-aging guide: How to take off 10 years or more. Prevention, 58(9), 166-213.

Stoping and Smell the roses to check your chances of Alzheimer's.

The Earliest Sign of Alzheimer's Disease Isn't Memory Loss 

Research has discovered that a poor sense of smell may be one of the earliest signs of Alzheimer's Disease. “Understanding smell loss, we think, will hold some clues about how to slow down this disease,” said Daniel Wesson, assistant professor of neuroscience at Case Western Reserve and lead investigator for the study, which was published in The Journal of Neuroscience. 

Loss of the sense of smell can be caused by many conditions other than Alzheimer’s, including medications, viral illnesses or injuries to the olfactory systems. But a poor sense of smell has also long been recognized as an early sign of Alzheimer's. It may also be an early sign of mild cognitive impairment, a form of memory loss that sometimes precedes Alzheimer's. Not all people with Alzheimer’s lose their sense of smell.

The new research shows how and where in the brain this happens, and that the impairment is likely to be treatable.

Mice exposed to a very minute amount of beta-amyloid lost their ability to detect odors. Plaques made up of the toxic proteins appeared in the rodents' brain areas responsible for smell long before they showed up in areas important for memory. The mice spent more time sniffing than usual but became incapable of remembering smells or telling the differences among odors in lab experiments.

The research team then sought to reverse the effects. The mice were given a drug that clears beta-amyloid from the brain. After two weeks on the drug, the mice could process smells normally. After withdrawal of the drug for one week, impairments returned.

Like the mice in the study, people with Alzheimer's may have a poor sense of smell and be unable to detect common odors like natural gas or roses. But no drugs are currently available that clear beta-amyloid from the brain, though scientists continue to test new candidates.

“The evidence indicates we can use the sense of smell to determine if someone may get Alzheimer’s disease, and use changes in sense of smell to begin treatments, instead of waiting until someone has issues learning and remembering,” Dr. Wesson said. “We can also use smell to see if therapies are working.”

The problem: a decreased sense of smell is a natural sign of aging according to Dr. Paul Takahashi at the Mayo Clinic. "Some loss of taste and smell is natural with aging, especially after age 60," Dr. Takahashi explains, "and although you can't reverse age-related loss of taste and smell, some causes of impaired taste and smell are treatable". 

Boost Your Protection Against Alzheimer's

A yet unidentified component of coffee protects against Alzheimer’s disease. A new Alzheimer’s mouse study found that a serving of coffee a day boosts blood levels of a critical growth factor that seems to fight off the Alzheimer’s disease process.

Using mice bred to develop symptoms mimicking Alzheimer’s disease, the researchers present the first evidence that caffeinated coffee offers protection against the memory-robbing disease that is not possible with other caffeine-containing drinks or decaffeinated coffee.

Previous observational studies in humans reported that daily coffee/caffeine intake during mid-life and in older age decreases the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. The researchers’ earlier studies in Alzheimer’s mice indicated that caffeine was likely the ingredient in coffee that provides this protection because it decreases brain production of the abnormal protein beta-amyloid, which is thought to cause the disease.

The new study does not diminish the importance of caffeine to protect against Alzheimer’s. Rather it shows that caffeinated coffee induces an increase in blood levels of a growth factor called GCSF (granulocyte colony stimulating factor). GCSF is a substance greatly decreased in patients with Alzheimer’s disease and demonstrated to improve memory in Alzheimer’s mice. A just-completed clinical trial at the USF Health Byrd Alzheimer’s Institute is investigating GCSF treatment to prevent full-blown Alzheimer’s in patients with mild cognitive impairment, a condition preceding the disease. The results of that trial are currently being evaluated and should be known soon.

“Caffeinated coffee provides a natural increase in blood GCSF levels,” said lead author Dr. Chuanhai Cao. “The exact way that this occurs is not understood. There is a synergistic interaction between caffeine and some mystery component of coffee that provides this beneficial increase in blood GCSF levels.”

The researchers would like to identify this yet unknown component so that coffee and other beverages could be enriched with it to provide long-term protection against Alzheimer’s.

In their study, the researchers compared the effects of caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee to those of caffeine alone. In both Alzheimer’s mice and normal mice, treatment with caffeinated coffee greatly increased blood levels of GCSF; neither caffeine alone or decaffeinated coffee provided this effect. The researchers caution that, since they used only “drip” coffee in their studies, they do not know whether “instant” caffeinated coffee would provide the same GCSF response.

The boost in GCSF levels is important, because the researchers also reported that long-term treatment with coffee (but not decaffeinated coffee) enhances memory in Alzheimer’s mice. Higher blood GCSF levels due to coffee intake were associated with better memory. The researchers identified three ways that GCSF seems to improve memory performance in the Alzheimer’s mice. First, GCSF recruits stem cells from bone marrow to enter the brain and remove the harmful beta-amyloid protein that initiates the disease. GCSF also creates new connections between brain cells and increases the birth of new neurons in the brain.

“All three mechanisms could complement caffeine’s ability to suppress beta amyloid production in the brain” Dr. Cao said, “Together these actions appear to give coffee an amazing potential to protect against Alzheimer’s — but only if you drink moderate amounts of caffeinated coffee.”

Although the present study was performed in Alzheimer’s mice, the researchers indicated that they’ve gathered clinical evidence of caffeine/coffee’s ability to protect humans against Alzheimer’s and will soon publish those findings.

Coffee is safe for most Americans to consume in the moderate amounts (4 to 5 cups a day) that appear necessary to protect against Alzheimer’s disease. The researchers previously reported this level of coffee/caffeine intake was needed to counteract the brain pathology and memory impairment in Alzheimer’s mice. The average American drinks 1½ to 2 cups of coffee a day, considerably less than the amount the researchers believe protects against Alzheimer’s.

“No synthetic drugs have yet been developed to treat the underlying Alzheimer’s disease process” said Dr. Gary Arendash, the study’s other lead author. “We see no reason why an inherently natural product such as coffee cannot be more beneficial and safer than medications, especially to protect against a disease that takes decades to become apparent after it starts in the brain.”

The researchers believe that moderate daily coffee intake starting at least by middle age (30s – 50s) is optimal for providing protection against Alzheimer’s disease, although starting even in older age appears protective from their studies. “We are not saying that daily moderate coffee consumption will completely protect people from getting Alzheimer’s disease,” Dr. Cao said. “However, we do believe that moderate coffee consumption can appreciably reduce your risk of this dreaded disease or delay its onset.”

The researchers conclude that coffee is the best source of caffeine to counteract the cognitive decline of Alzheimer’s because its yet unidentified component synergizes with caffeine to increase blood GCSF levels. Other sources of caffeine, such as carbonated drinks, energy drinks, and tea, would not provide the same level of protection against Alzheimer’s as coffee, they said.

Coffee also contains many ingredients other than caffeine that potentially offer cognitive benefits against Alzheimer’s disease. “The average American gets most of their daily antioxidants intake through coffee,” Dr. Cao said. “Coffee is high in anti-inflammatory compounds that also may provide protective benefits against Alzheimer’s disease.”

An increasing body of scientific literature indicates that moderate consumption of coffee decreases the risk of several diseases of aging, including Parkinson’s disease, Type II diabetes and stroke. Just within the last few months, new studies have reported that drinking coffee in moderation may also significantly reduce the risk of breast and prostate cancers.

“Now is the time to aggressively pursue the protective benefits of coffee against Alzheimer’s disease,” Dr. Arendash said. “Hopefully, the coffee industry will soon become an active partner with Alzheimer’s researchers to find the protective ingredient in coffee and concentrate it in dietary sources.”

New Alzheimer’s diagnostic guidelines, now encompassing the full continuum of the disease from no overt symptoms to mild impairment to clear cognitive decline, could double the number of Americans with some form of the disease to more than 10 million. With the baby-boomer generation entering older age, these numbers will climb even more unless an effective preventive measure is identified.

“Because Alzheimer’s starts in the brain several decades before it is diagnosed, any protective therapy would obviously need to be taken for decades,” Dr. Cao said. “We believe moderate daily consumption of caffeinated coffee is the best current option for long-term protection against Alzheimer’s memory loss. Coffee is inexpensive, readily available, easily gets into the brain, appears to directly attack the disease process, and has few side-effects for most of us.”

According to the researchers, no other Alzheimer’s therapy being developed comes close to meeting all these criteria.

“Aside from coffee, two other lifestyle choices — physical and cognitive activity — appear to reduce the risk of dementia. Combining regular physical and mental exercise with moderate coffee consumption would seem to be an excellent multi-faceted approach to reducing risk or delaying Alzheimer’s,” Dr. Arendash said. “With pharmaceutical companies spending millions of dollars trying to develop drugs against Alzheimer’s disease, there may very well be an effective preventive right under our noses every morning – caffeinated coffee.”