I was watching NASA TV the other day and a story on Alzheimer's research was playing. The story was about the benefits of growing cell cultures in micro-gravity. The goal is to study and learn the biological mechanisms of Alzheimer's disease in order to develop a drug for treatment. It was expressed that this research is extremely valuable ($$$).
During the episode, a map was briefly displayed that indicated the Alzheimer's disease death rate per nation. The map struck me with a glaringly obvious relationship! Clearly, Alzheimer's disease is not a universal disease and varies by region and culture. I was amazed that the map was not included in the discussion. With a brief Google search, I found the map here: http://www.worldlifeexpectancy.com/cause-of-death/alzheimers-dementia/by-country/.
Upon first glance of the map I was reminded of "The China Study" by T. Colin Campbell. In that glance, I noticed that all of the most western styled countries were in red (high). I specifically noticed that India is grey (low). It may be worth noting that India has a high population percentage of vegetarians. (http://www.livescience.com/28634-indian-culture.html)
It is very interesting how such glaringly obvious data is completely overlooked and dismissed. Dr. Colin Campbell's book, "Whole" covers this characteristic of our society. Clearly, devastating lifestyle inflicted issues goes far beyond obesity and cardiovascular disease.