Scientists have discovered the ultimate 'brain food'. It’s a diet that can help boost the growth of stem cells in the brain, and may even be able to ward off Alzheimer’s disease.
A diet that is rich in polyphenols and polyunsaturated fats, both antioxidants, encourage cell growth in the regions of the brain usually damaged by Alzheimer's disease.
Polyphenols are found in tea, beer, grapes, wine, olive oil, cocoa, nuts and fruits and vegetables, while polyunsaturated fatty acids are in blue fish and in vegetables such as corn, soya beans, sunflowers and pumpkins.
But researchers used a special cream – called LMN – to test the diet’s cell-producing qualities. LMN is a patented product that is made up of extracts of dried fruits and nuts, coconut, vegetable oils and flour. The cream has been pioneered and manufactured by La Morella Nuts, based near Tarragona in Spain.
The researchers tested the cream on two groups of laboratory mice, and found that those fed the cream had more stem cell growth in the olfactory and hippocampus regions of the brain, which are most commonly attacked by Alzheimer’s. They also discovered the cream helped prevent damage to the brain.
(Source: Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, 2009; 18: doi: 10.3233/JAD-2009-1188).