against some loss of long-term memory, learning ability and cognitive function in middle-aged
rats.^129
The powerful flavonoids found in fruits and vegetables may also help reduce damage that has
already occurred in Alzheimer's patients and improve cognition. One flavonoid in particular, known
as epicatechin (found in cocoa, green tea, wine, and some fruits and vegetables), is believed to be
especially adept at protecting brain cells.
The brain cell damage that precedes age-related memory loss and cognitive decline may be caused
by more than just the accumulation of free radical damage. Both elevated cholesterol levels and
high blood pressure have also been linked to a higher risk of dementia. The delicate arteries within
the brain are especially sensitive to elevations in blood pressure, and long-term hypertension (high
blood pressure) has the potential to injure these small vessels, impair blood flow and result in
damage to or destruction of brain tissue.^130 Such injury lays the foundation for the development of
vascular dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, and cognitive impairment.
In people under the age of 40, higher blood pressure is already associated with poorer cognitive
performance. If the top number of the blood pressure reading (systolic pressure) continues to be
above 140 mmHg, the risk of developing Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia is more than
doubled, according to long-term studies lasting for at least 20 years.^131
This means that the typical American diet, with its high levels of fat and salt and low levels of
protective antioxidant nutrients, has been inflicting a great deal of damage on the brain's delicate
blood supply. This may help explain the findings from the Adventist Health Study, which suggested
that increased meat consumption was associated with greater cognitive decline in old age.
Maintaining your blood pressure within healthy limits is an important step toward keeping your
brain healthy and functioning at optimal levels as you age. One of the easiest ways to ensure this
happens is with a 90% or more plant-based, nutrient-rich diet. Beilin et al. determined that sticking
to a plant-based diet long-term is associated with less of a rise in blood pressure with advancing
age and a decreased prevalence of hypertension.^132
Success Result #6: Look Younger
Look Younger because you are no longer over-stimulating yourself with substantial amounts of
animal and refined foods that speed aging by promoting inflammation, free radical damage, super-
fast cellular growth, and exhaustion.
(^129) U.S. Department of Agriculture. Can Foods Forestall Aging? Agricul Res. February 1999.
(^130) Kuller LH, Margolis KL, Gaussoin SA, et al., Relationship of hypertension, blood pressure, and blood pressure control
with white matter abnormalities in the Women's Health Initiative Memory Study (WHIMS)-MRI trial. J Clin Hypertens.
2010;12(3):203-212.
(^131) Nagai M, Hoshide S, Kario K. Hypertension and dementia. Am J Hypertens. 2010;23(2):116-124.
(^132) Beilin LJ, Armstrong BK, Margetts BM, Rouse IL, Vandongen R. Vegetarian diet and blood pressure. Nephron.
1987;47(Suppl 1):37-41.