Laurel on Health Food

An Oprah Magazine reader wrote to David L. Katz, M.D. in this month’s “The Way to Eat” section (Ref: The Oprah Magazine, May 2008, p. 200). She mentioned that her mother had ovarian cancer and her father had Alzheimer’s disease. Knowing that this meant she was more likely to get those diseases, she asked Katz if there were foods that could help protect her. I summarized a few key points from Dr. Katz’s response below.

To cut your cancer risk, remember that eating the right diet can help but it’s not a cure all. Reduce your intake of saturated fats from red meat, high fat dairy, and processed foods. A Harvard study linked high saturated fat intake and increased risk of ovarian cancer. Also, avoid excess eating, maintain a healthy weight, and always eat plenty of fruits and veggies.

To cut your Alzheimer’s risk, try the Mediterranean diet by focusing on beans, whole grains, fish, fruits, vegetables, and olive oil. A study of 2,000 New Yorkers who ate Mediterranean diets found a significantly lower risk of Alzheimer’s. Scientific research is also suggesting that fish oil supplements, turmeric, ginkgo biloba, and vitamin B6 may help prevent dementia, but there is no proof yet. Visit alzheimersprevention.org for new research and developments.

Also, take a look at these posts I’ve written in the past year addressing Alzheimer’s:

Folate, B-12 Essential for Brain Health

Rosemary Fights Mental Decline, Disease

Study Shows Curry Helps Prevent Alzheimer’s

…and addressing Ovarian Cancer:

Ovarian Cancer Prevention

Lovely Spinach

Tofu a Day Keeps Ovarian Cancer Away

This entry was posted on Thursday, May 8th, 2008 at 6:52 am and is filed under Alzheimer's, Cancer, Health. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.

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