ABSTRACT
Nutrition is an important lifestyle factor that affects cardiovascular health, the chance of getting diabetes, and the likelihood of developing clinical depression. This chapter describes information about antioxidants, omega-3 fatty acids, nutritional supplements, diabetes, and obesity. Antioxidants, such as vitamins A, C, and E, may counteract the effects of free radicals by absorbing them. The American Diabetes Association estimates that 41 million Americans have pre-diabetes, which appears to put them at risk for developing dementia even before they develop full-blown diabetes. The take-home message appears to be that people in the normal weight range for their height have a reduced chance of developing Alzheimer's disease or vascular dementia. People who take narcotic painkillers to deal with their chronic pain are probably going to experience some cognitive deficits as a result. Chronic cocaine abusers score lower on traditional measures of cognitive ability, with more impairment seen in making new memories rather than attentional processes.
