A woman who didn’t recognize her own son is now “back to normal,” after he put her on a diet rich in berries, nuts, dark leafy greens and fish
Sylvia Hatzer was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and epilepsy in 2016.
She spent much of that year in the hospital, not knowing who her own son was when he came to visit.
She went tirading around the hospital complaining it was the worst hotel she’d ever stayed at.
At a low point, she called the police saying hospital staff had kidnapped her.
Recognizing that her medication was not helping, her son, Mark Hatzer, took matters into his own hands, researching alternative therapies and diets.
He came across a long list of studies showing a Mediterranean diet can reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s and slow down the progression of those already diagnosed with the disease
A 2010 study, for example, found those who adhered most closely to the diet we’re 34% less likely to develop the disease.
Since starting her on the diet, a little over a year ago, she has almost completely regained her memory.
“Little by little, day by day, we managed to turn things round,” Mark says in a post published by the Alzheimer’s Society.
“I slowly got my mum back. Her memory is improving all the time. She is more alert and engaged. She is basically her old self again.”
Mark says her diet was high in blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, walnuts, spinach, kale, sweet potatoes, carrots, dark chocolate with a high cacao content, along with oily fish and dairy, and low in sugar and refined foods.
Mark and Sylvia’s approach is now endorsed by the Alzheimer’s Society, which shares their diet, exercise regime and recipes on their flyers.