The nervous system is one of the most complex systems in the human body and therefore is susceptible to a number of diseases, conditions, and disorders that can range from temporary, minor glitches to a long lasting and widespread event. Problems within the nervous system can start from something as simple as a vitamin deficiency or something as irreversible as family history and genetics. Knowing the possible diseases, their risk factors and warning signs can be crucial to getting the right kind of treatment as quickly as possible. For instance, in the case of a stroke, the earlier the diagnosis, the better! There is a small window of time during which special drugs can be given that can restore most or even all of the functions to the stroke victim, without lasting side effects. This window starts at the onset of symptoms and closes quickly. If the time cannot be established, the drugs are usually not able to be given at all.
It is estimated that between 4 to 5 % of all Americans over the age of 65 have some neurological and intellectual impairment with Alzheimer’s disease being the cause in about half of those. (Source: MacLean 1993)
Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive and incurable degeneration of the brain and is said to affect around 4 million Americans and is the fourth leading cause of death in the country. It begins with short term memory difficulties that extend beyond normal forgetfulness. As the disease progresses other systems will become affected and eventually the patient will be unable to eat by themselves or to walk. The system will start shutting down and eventually an organ failure will lead to death. (Source: MacLean 1993)
Stroke is considered to be both a nervous system disease as well as a disease of the cardiovascular system. There are several kinds of strokes and they may affect virtually any area of the brain. The estimate is that at least two million people have been affected by a stroke of some kind which affects women twice as often as men. Strokes are the third leading cause of death in the country. (Source: Neilson, 2008)
Parkinson’s disease, which becomes more common with age, is another progressively degenerative disease that is characterized by tremor, rigidity, and bent posture. Treatment for Parkinson’s disease can vary as do the symptoms and the rate of progression. In most cases, the main course of action is treating the dopamine deficiency with a drug called Levodopa.
Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that is used by the body in functions related to movement, attention, and learning. Dopamine is also responsible for reinforcing the effects of the drugs that people tend to abuse. Dopamine is given to those with Parkinson’s, in the form of L-Dopa which is converted by the neurons to dopamine. The remaining dopamine centers in the brain are then stimulated to make more, relieving the symptoms. Eventually, this treatment will become less and less effective and the symptoms will return.
A Good Diet Plan – The right diet to follow when treating nervous system disorders will depend on a number of factors. It must take into account the actual diagnosis, the risk factors that may have caused the disease in the first place and the most important risk factors that need to be address immediately. Factors such as obesity, hypertension, and other diseases should be the main focus of a healthy diet as well as for the medical treatment. These factors can all be related to one another that in some cases taking care of one can alleviate the others. For instance, simply by losing weight, you reduce your overall blood pressure and cholesterol levels, sometimes to the point of no longer needing medications.
A good diet plan to help with weight loss and blood pressure can be the DASH diet plan, recommended by the American Heart Association. DASH or, dietary approaches to stop hypertension focuses on fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and limiting saturated fats and salt.
No matter what diet plan you consider, make sure that you discuss it with your doctor who can help you decide which one is right for your diagnosis and will work with your medications. The right diet will include foods from all of the major food groups with focus on the three macronutrients: protein, carbohydrates, and fats. The right amount of each of these foods is important. The right level of calories is also very important especially if weight loss is the goal.
Fats – Despite the reputation that fats are all bad for you and diet plans that tried to eliminate them entirely from the diet, fats are necessary and should be included in the healthy diet. Steer clear of saturated fats (the fats that are solid at room temperature as well as hydrogenated fats found in processed foods). Healthy fats include the fats found in salmon and other cold water fish, nuts, olives and olive oil, and avocadoes. Healthy fats should make up around 15-20% of the daily calories.
Carbohydrates – Carbohydrates are the primary source of energy in the body and should make up about 50% of the overall daily calories. Simple carbohydrates are the easiest to break down and tend to cause the blood sugar to be elevated too quickly which increases the amount of insulin that is released and will lead to weight gain. Complex carbohydrates are better choices because they are slower to digest in the body. Whole grains bread and pasta are good examples of complex carbohydrates.
Proteins – Protein comes from both animal and plant sources and is vital to every cell and function of the body including the immune system and the nervous system. In addition to these, certain proteins can be beneficial to the cardiovascular system as well. The American Heart Association recommends that the diet include no more than 35% protein, however there are some conditions that might suggest more protein. There are other conditions that might suggest slightly less protein in the diet as well, depending on the medications that are used.
Because some of the people who have had neurological diseases may have problems getting enough nutrition or with absorbing nutrients from the foods that they do eat, protein supplements might be the right answer. Protein supplements which can range from shakes, powders, and liquid supplement shots should only be added to the diet with a doctor’s advice and consent.
Protein supplements include whey protein, soy protein, egg protein, and rice protein. Supplements are often prescribed to those with Parkinson’s because it tends to cause muscle wasting, however in those who are being treated with Levodopa the right amount of protein must be found because too little will allow too much of the medication to go to the brain while too much will stop the drug from working correctly at all.
Profect, from Protica is a liquid protein supplement which gives 25 grams of protein per serving with zero fat and zero carbohydrates.
Protica Research (Protica, Inc.) specializes in the development of Capsulized Foods. Protica manufactures Profect, IsoMetric, Pediagro, Fruitasia and over 100 other brands, including Medicare-approved, whey liquid protein for dialysis patients. You can learn more at Protica Research – Copyright