Are vegans mentally healthy?
We all know that a vegan diet is amazing for your bodies health, but what about your brain? Does it have a positive effect there? Are vegans mentally healthy? Here’s a few simple facts that Viva! spoke about in one of their amazing online factsheets!
Juice cuts Alzheimers risk
“In a study published in the American Journal of Medicine, US and Japanese scientists followed almost 2,000 people for up to 10 years. Risk for Alzheimer’s was a massive 76 per cent lower among those who drank juice more than three times a week, compared with those who drank it less than once weekly. They concluded that fruit and vegetable juices may play an important role in delaying the onset of Alzheimer’s disease, particularly among those who are at high risk for the disease.”
Folic acid increases brain power
“Research from the Netherlands suggests that folic acid can help boost brain power in the over-50s. In a three-year study, those taking 800 micrograms of folic acid per day performed significantly better in a range of mental agility tests than those taking a placebo.
Vegetarians generally have higher folic acid intakes and higher blood levels of folic acid as they eat more fruits, cereals, pulses, and leafy green vegetables. Vegans had higher folic acid intakes than meat-eaters, fish-eaters and vegetarians in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC).”
Lower cholesterol, lower the chance of Alzheimers
A vegan diet contains a very low amount of cholesterol, if you pick your foods then you’ll actually be consuming no bad cholesterol.
“People with high cholesterol levels in mid-life are more likely to develop Alzheimer’s than those with low cholesterol, according to new research from California. From a group of 9,752 people (whose cholesterol had been measured in their 40s) 504 developed Alzheimer’s. Those with high cholesterol levels in mid-life were 50 per cent more likely to develop this disease later in life.”
High calcium diet increases chance of dementia
We know that a regular omnivore diet is packed with way too much calcium. Unfortunately, we’ve been told a lie that we need milk and cheese to make our bones strong. Here’s what all the white stuff does to your brain.
“Too much calcium may lead to dementia in the elderly, new research reveals. Scientists found that excess calcium in the diet can narrow the blood vessels in the brain leading to tissue damage (lesions) that may cause cognitive impairment, dementia, depression and stroke. The brains of 79 men and 153 women aged between 60 and 86 were scanned, and all were found to have a number of lesions. The findings, presented at the Experimental Biology meeting in Washington DC, suggest that the calcium in dairy foods may be responsible.
The same US team previously showed that people who consume high levels of fatty dairy produce have more lesions but fat intake alone was not a factor. This study provides support to the growing number of researchers concerned about the effects of too much calcium, particularly in older adults.”