Fruits and vegetables are packed with hundreds of antioxidants. While other studies have linked the increase risk of Alzheimer’s Disease to low levels of fruit and vegetable intake, a recent study published in Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease showed that post mortum brain analysis directly demonstrated that brain Alzheimer disease contained subnormal levels of antioxidants.

In a study lead by reseachers at Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, investigators found that people with Alzheimer’s had half the amount of essential nutrients of lutein, zeaxanthin, lycopene, and vitamin E.

“This study, for the first time, demonstrates deficits in important dietary antioxidants in Alzheimer’s brains. These results are consistent with large population studies that found risk for Alzheimer’s disease was significantly lower in those who ate diets rich in carotenoids, or had high levels of lutein and zeaxanthin in their blood, or accumulated in their retina as macular pigment,” said author, C. Kathleen Dorey. “Not only that, but we believe eating carotenoid-rich diets will help keep brains in top condition at all ages.”

They analyzed donor brains of which 21 had verfied alzheimer’s disease and 10 elderly brains without Alzheimer’s disease. The average chronological average age of all brains were 75 years old. The average Alzheimer’s brain was 73 years old; while the average brain of non-Alzheimer’s brain was 78 years old. The brains were then dissected and the antioxidants were extracted for measurement.

So to maintain a healthy brain, eat lots of healthy whole-unprocessed plant-based foods of vegetables, nuts, and fruit.

CK Dorey et al. Low xanthophyll, retinol, lycopene, and tocopherols in grey and white matter of brains with Alzheimer’s disease. Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease. 2023. DOI: 10.3233/JAD-220460