The C.A.M. Report
Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Fair, Balanced, and to the Point
  • About this web log

    This blog ran from 2006 to 2016 and was intended as an objective and dispassionate source of information on the latest CAM research. Since my background is in pharmacy and allopathic medicine, I view all CAM as advancing through the development pipeline to eventually become integrated into mainstream medical practice. Some will succeed while others fail. But all are treated fairly here.

  • About the author

    John Russo, Jr., PharmD, is president of The MedCom Resource, Inc. Previously, he was senior vice president of medical communications at www.Vicus.com, a complementary and alternative medicine website.

  • Common sense considerations

    The material on this weblog is for informational purposes. It is not medical advice or counsel. Be smart, consult your health professional before using CAM.

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  • Recent Comments

    DASH diet and its effect on cognitive decline

     The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) is a diet rich in fruits and vegetables and low in salt, sweets, and red meats.

    During the International Conference on Alzheimer’s Disease, researchers from Utah State University, in Logan reported it appears to slow cognitive decline — if you can stick with it.

    First, the details.

    • 3,831 people over the age of 65 years were monitored for 11 years.
    • Participants received a score based on how closely they followed the diet.
    • They were then divided into 5 groups based on adherence to the diet.
    • Cognitive (reasoning) function was tested 4 times during the 11 years using the Modified Mini Mental State Examination.

    And, the results.

    • None of the participants were able to follow the diet 100%.
    • There was a significant difference between the most vs least diet-adherent participants in their Modified Mini Mental State Examination scores.
    • 4 of the 9 food-group/nutrient components used to create the DASH score were independently associated with significantly higher Modified Mini Mental State Examination scores — vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy, nut/legumes.

    The bottom line?

    The researchers concluded, “Our results suggest that including whole grains, vegetables, low-fat dairy foods, and nuts in one’s diet may offer benefits for cognition in late life.”

    In an observational study such as this, additional, more rigorously designed research is needed to confirm the results.

    More about the benefits of the DASH diet is discussed here.

    8/3/09 20:46 JR

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