Reduce The Risk Of Dementia By Eating More Fat And Protein, Much Less Grain

The basic premise of author David Perlmutter’s new book is that all brain disease – dementia, depression, epilepsy, headaches, etc. – is rooted in the diet, especially in carbohydrates like grains. “Grain Brain: The Surprising Truth About Wheat, Carbs, and Sugar” advocates a return to a primordial diet based on fat and protein. Fat should constitute about 75 percent of the diet, he says,  followed by 20 percent protein, then five percent carbs. There is some scientific basis for Perlmutter’s argument: a recent study found that elderly people who ate a high-carb diet were three times more likely to develop mild cognitive impairment. People whose diet was highest in fats found in nuts and healthy oils were 42 percent less likely to be cognitively impaired.