Dietary Intake of Antioxidants and Risk of Alzheimer Disease
Gosh…what more can I add here? The concept that antioxidants can impact chronic disease is far, far from new. Here we see that intakes of Vitamins C and E lower risk of AD. I would strongly add that anyone at risk or concerned about AD evaluate the potential for gluten insensitivity. Transglutaminase is probably one of the better lad values used to check for this. Patients with gluten insensitivity have shown higher likelihood of plaguing on the brain as well as increased risk for AD. As a quick story, I had a patient in several weeks ago that was put on dapsone (an antibacterial drug commonly used in leprosy) a decade ago for dermatitis herpetiformis (a skin condition associated with gluten insensitivity). He was told that wheat-free diets were too difficult and that this drug was a lifetime therapy. HUH??? At what point did common sense leave the medical profession?? This poor patient was clearly allergic to gluten and was likely doing additional damage to other organ systems, but never mind that–just take the drug. After a brief conversation he was off to buy books on wheat-free living.