by Patrick Holford
There is a reason why we don’t just talk about the benefits of omega-3, or encourage people to only focus on vitamin D – many of these nutrients work synergistically and are all needed to work together to maximise the reduction in dementia risk.
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A few months ago, a study looked at three blood tests – homocysteine, vitamin D and omega-3 index and assigned a score of 1 = bad or 0 = good to each result. A person scoring 3 (three ‘bad’ results) had 4.6 times the risk of having dementia compared to a score of 0 (three ‘good’ results). This confirms the synergistic effect of two of our four ‘biological horsemen of the mental health apocalypse’ – brain fats (omega-3 and vitamin D) together with homocysteine-lowering B vitamins.
The researchers, led by Dr Annike van Soest in Holland say:
“The effect size we observed was substantial; a four-fold increased risk of developing dementia in individuals with combined suboptimal status of omega-3, vitamin D, and homocysteine (three ‘bad’ results). This effect size is large in comparison with other risk factors of dementia. In our sample, being a current smoker or having diabetes doubled the risk, and being a carrier of at least one APOE ε4 allele (gene variant) tripled the risk of dementia (1).”
In this study, which is the third of its kind, if homocysteine was above 8mcmol/l, that was ‘high risk’ (scoring 1) and if below this, ‘low risk’ (scoring 0). Similarly, if vitamin D was below 15 ng/ml (37.5 nmol/l) that was classified as high risk and if the omega-3 index was below 5%, then that was classified as high risk.
Interestingly, this was based on the research of risk according to blood levels. So, while it is already known that if homocysteine is above 11mcmol/l the brain is shrinking at an accelerated rate, in this study, even levels above 8 are associated with increased risk of dementia!
At Food for the Brain, we set the optimal level for homocysteine at 7 or less.
According to Professor David Smith from Oxford University whose group carried out the original study of this kind, homocysteine-lowering B vitamins slowed the rate of brain shrinkage by 73%. They also slowed the rate of cognitive decline, arresting it in a third of trial participants.
He stated:
“For too long nutrition has been relatively discounted as a factor in the causation of dementia. This study corrects that misconception and lays the foundation for prevention based upon multiple nutrients.”
A study in France (2), which didn’t include homocysteine but did include a measure of carotenoids as an indicator of ‘oxidation’ reported a fourfold increased risk if all blood tests were in the ‘high-risk’ category.
We offer a similar range of tests in our Dementia Risk Index functional Test (DRIfT) but with more sensitivity, plus adding in HbA1c as a measure of blood sugar resilience. We have also recently added a Glutathione Index test as a measure of antioxidant status.
In other words, we are looking at ‘four horsemen of the mental health apocalypse’, not just two. Additionally, instead of only having a good/bad, 0/1 scale we have a four-point scale, from 0 to 3 for each test. So, our 4 in 1 test can score within a range of 0 to 12.
On a practical level, your goal is to have all blood test levels in ‘the green’ zone, which we have set as:
– homocysteine below 7
– omega-3 index above 8%
– vitamin D above 40 ng/ml or 100 nmol/l
– HBA1c below 5.5%;
– Glutathione Index above 500.
Tracking changes in these markers against changes in cognitive function would provide further evidence for a systems-based approach to preventing age-related cognitive decline. Whilst it might sound technical, when you test with us (and support our charity and research in the process), we help by making it clear and easy to understand.
We hope to have substantial test results soon, and to plug into NHS patient data to import more test results for vitamin D and HbA1c, along with future dementia diagnoses. This will help further develop and research the perfect DRIfT score and enhance our guidance for your future protection against cognitive decline.
Exciting, isn’t it?
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What can you do?
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Thank you for reading!
Food for the Brain is a non-for-profit educational and research charity that offers a free Cognitive Function Test and assesses your Dementia Risk Index to be able to advise you on how to dementia-proof your diet and lifestyle.
By completing the Cognitive Function Test you are joining our grassroots research initiative to find out what really works for preventing cognitive decline. We share our ongoing research results with you to help you make brain-friendly choices.
Please support our research by becoming a Friend of Food for the Brain.
References
1. van Soest APM, de Groot LCPGM, Witkamp RF, van Lent DM, Seshadri S, van de Rest O. Concurrent nutrient deficiencies are associated with dementia incidence. Alzheimers Dement. 2024 Jun 12. doi: 10.1002/alz.13884. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 38865433.
2. Neuffer J, Gourru M, Thomas A, Lefèvre-Arbogast S, Foubert-Samier A, Helmer C, Delcourt C, Féart C, Samieri C. A Biological Index to Screen Multi-Micronutrient Deficiencies Associated with the Risk to Develop Dementia in Older Persons from the Community. J Alzheimers Dis. 2022;85(1):331-342. doi: 10.3233/JAD-215011. PMID: 34806604.
