<h1>Farmer leads D-Day for dementia carers</h1>
With dementia now the leading cause of death in women and more than 850,000 people diagnosed in the UK, everyone knows someone who’s suffered its cruel impact.

But how can what you eat help prevent it or slow further damage to the brain?

That’s the subject of two one-day workshops to be held at The Linseed Farm in Barns Green, West Sussex, this month, led by farmer Durwin Banks and naturopath Deborah Walker.

“Nowhere is the food debate more important than in the area of mental health,” said Durwin, a campaigner for better dietary advice since he set up The Linseed Farm producing Omega 3-rich oil from home-grown seed in 2000.

“Dementia and its most common cause, Alzheimer’s disease, are a growing problem for us as a nation. Billions of pounds have been poured into research with very few positive results for people.

“We have to get a handle on this to prevent the truly horrifying prospect of as many as two million of our children suffering dementia by the time they are in their 60s. Unless we do, we are condemning them to a miserable old age.”

The workshops, aimed at health professionals, carers and anyone keen to learn how to improve mental health through diet, will look at the role of fats in the brain, particularly how a balanced intake of essential fatty acids keeps its 100 billion cells fully functioning.

“A balance of fats – particularly Omega 3 in which most of us are woefully deficient – is vital for good cell communication,” says Durwin. “Nowhere is that more important than in preventing dementia where the brain’s ability to send messages is compromised, leading to classic signs of forgetfulness and disorientation. Many people are scared of old age – we want to empower them with knowledge that frees them from that fear.”

The workshop costs £25pp to include a tour of The Linseed Farm, morning coffee, lunch and presentations with question and answer sessions.
For more information and to book, go to thelinseedfarm.co.uk/events
Caption: Durwin Banks from The Linseed Farm
…end… 7 July 2016