I was talking with an occasional friend who was wondering how I was doing after my two heart attacks. This query coincidentally coincided with a recent article taken from CNN:
FWIW, anecdotal evidence follows. Not scientific! Take it any way you want. Maybe with thick gravy and a stick of butter on a sesame seed bun, maybe not...Professor Gene Bowman, of the University of Portland, Oregon, just completed research which indicates that fast-food, if eaten often, will shrink people's brain.
His research team determined that shrinkage is caused by the saturated fats and insufficient quantities of vitamins B,C,D and E, bringing the same effects as those which cause Alzheimer disease.
The link between fast-food and dementia seems to have been confirmed.
After two heart attacks that nearly killed me, I chose to radically shift my diet from my fast food, high fat American diet to strict vegan. Yes, really. Nothing like a good scare for motivation! No meat, no fish, no dairy, almost no oils. In other words, extremely low fat and healthy, distinctly un-American nutrition.
Soon after I started, about a bit short of two months later, my memory returned with a vengeance. It was as if a veil of fog had lifted. The inevitable declines I assigned to old age vanished. My mind was sharper and clearer than it had been for years. After 6 months now of vegan eating, the effects have remained.
In addition...
My weight dropped by 50 lbs with no special effort. My cholesterol dropped from over 350 down to 125. Triglycerides are at the low end of normal.
My blocked veins and arteries have actually improved dramatically. No, the blockages have not vanished, the arteries have just relaxed to the point where the emergency quadruple bypass surgery has been indefinitely postponed. My blood pressure has dropped to normal. More blood flow to the brain? I have no idea.
My diabetes is now to the point where my A1C is down to 6 from a high of 14.5 (in other words, normal). One bottle of insulin every 5-6 weeks rather than almost 3 bottles each month.
Is there a difference between the standard American fast food diet and healthy eating? For me, a resounding unqualified yes. Your mileage may vary.