At the moment, along with my dietetics courses, I’m taking physiological psychology; although it’s not a dietetics course, nutrition has been mentioned a bit here and there. For example, in some instances, nutrition may affect the physiology of our brain. A recent topic that my professor lectured about (that somewhat related to nutrition), was Alzheimer’s disease (AD); he showed us an extremely informative video on the different factors that may contribute to AD. The most fascinating piece of information I learned from the video, was that there may be a correlation between cholesterol and AD.
Because I wanted to learn more, I decided to do a little research and found an interesting study on this topic. The Medical University Innsbruck (Austria) conducted a study where rats were fed with a special cholesterol-enriched diet. After 5 months, the results showed that chronic hypercholesterolemia (high blood cholesterol) caused memory impairment, cholinergic dysfunction, inflammation, enhanced cortical beta-amyloid and tau and induced microbleedings, all indications, which resemble an Alzheimer's disease-like pathology (Science Daily).
Aside from this study, I stumbled upon more studies and information that drew the same conclusion in regards to cholesterol. Additionally, the exact cause of AD is unknown, and hypercholesterolemia is just one of the many factors that may play a role in AD. Overall, this article just reminded me of the importance of keeping cholesterol at a healthy level. Also, not only should we protect our hearts from pesky fats and cholesterol, but our brain is just as important to protect through proper nutrition.
Here are some suggestions from the Mayo Clinic on how to maintain healthy cholesterol levels:
· Lose extra pounds
· Eat heart-healthy foods
· Choose healthier fats
· Eliminate trans fats.
· Limit your dietary cholesterol
· Select whole grains
· Stock up on fruits and vegetables
· Eat heart-healthy fish.
· Drink alcohol only in moderation
· Exercise regularly
· Don't smoke
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