For our first cookie campaign, I' have chosen to support the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center at NYU Langone, where my grandpa was diagnosed and treated in 2017. The social workers at NYU were extremely helpful, helping me and my family to understand my grandpa’s needs and connecting us with other support services. They reached out to us frequently to see if we needed anything and were incredibly empathetic when it came to understanding what it is like to care for someone with Alzheimer’s. We’re excited to be supporting their work in this small way.

Alzheimer’s Disease is the most common type of dementia, meaning that it is a deterioration of the brain. Its main symptoms include memory loss, loss of cognitive function, loss of speech ability, and mood changes. 

Alzheimer’s typically affects middle-aged and elderly people, but the causes of Alzheimer’s are unclear. The impact of this disease also extends far beyond the patient: family, friends, and loved ones of the patient also have emotional suffering after a diagnosis.

According to the CDC, various factors can help to prevent or slow Alzheimer’s Disease, including managing blood pressure and blood sugar, staying physically active, not smoking or drinking excessively, and getting enough sleep. Nutrition also plays a role. Studies in 2010 and 2016 found that a Mediterranean diet including plenty of olive oil and blueberries can help to protect against cognitive decline and dementia. 

Therefore, our cookie this month contains olive oil and berries. Introducing: Berry on the Brain.

Ingredients

Cookie base:

Oat flour 

Rolled oats 

Olive oil

Baking powder 

Brown sugar 

White sugar 

Vanilla extract 

Oat milk 

Cinnamon 

Egg

Fresh blueberries (I use jumbo!)

Research

Blueberries

Blueberries are packed with flavonoids, a powerful antioxidant agent that pigments many foods. A 2021 study proves that the long term intake of flavonoids reduces the chance of cognitive decline and promotes stronger memory in both men and women in the United States. Blueberries also contain a high volume of folate which is classified as a B vitamin. Another 2021 study concludes that folate deficiencies can often lead to or increase risk of dementia or  Alzheimer’s disease. One way of reducing the risk of obtaining a folate deficiency is to include it in your everyday diet.  

Olive Oil

In a recent 2022 study, olive oil was shown to promote memory, and also to reduce the development of protein build-up in the brain, a common indicator of Alzheimer’s disease. Olive oil displayed facilitation of the process of autophagy, the breaking-down of old or irregular proteins in the cytoplasm.