Alzheimer's, Cholesterol and Vitamin E

Researchers at Finland's University of Kuopio and Baylor College of Medicine in Houston may have uncovered a link between Alzheimer's disease and high cholesterol and vitamin E supplementation just might be the answer.

According to the study, concluded by researchers from Finland, Sweden and California, people in their early 40s with cholesterol levels between 249 and 500 milligrams per deciliter are about one and a half times more likely to develop Alzheimer's later in life as those individuals whose levels are below 198 milligrams per deciliter. What's even more interesting is that these findings appear to be independent of other risk factors for high cholesterol like obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes.

At Baylor College of Medicine, researchers discovered that Alzheimer's patients who took high doses of vitamin E - high levels of which are also found in foods such as green leafy vegetables, nuts, whole grains, fruit and some eggs - had mortality rates 26 percent lower than those taking no supplements. There is also evident that a diet rich in vitamin E may lower the risk of getting alzheimer's in the first place.

Just the latest example of how proper diet can help you avoid some serious health issues later in life.