How To Prevent Alzheimer Disease Naturally

Speak A Second Language

Learning a second language can help you out during your next international trip and help you feel empowered because you are learning something new. But learning a new language can also help improve your cognitive skills, helping to keep dementia at bay. The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America reports that lifelong bilingualism can prevent cognitive decline and may help delay the onset of dementia.

If you havent been speaking a second language for your lifetime, dont despair. You can still reap significant benefits from learning a new language in your senior years. The Glasgow Memory Clinic states that people who learn a new language tend to have lower rates of dementia and memory issues later. While direct reasoning is not yet determined, it appears that learning a new language can cause resiliency in the brain, helping to reduce the chance of dementia or even delay its onset.

Can Natural Strategies Help Prevent Alzheimers Disease

Ana Aleksic, MSc Jonathan Ritter, PharmD, PhD Puya Yazdi, MDAna Aleksic, MSc

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Unexpected Ways On How To Prevent Alzheimers Disease Naturally

i. background knowledge of alzheimer’s disease

1. what is alzheimer’s disease?

alzheimer’s disease is named after the doctor alois alzheimer, who first considered it as a physical disease which can affect people’s brains. in the uk, there are more than 520,000 patients with alzheimer’s disease. it is caused by the loss of connections between nerve cells or even their death. while the proteins in their brain build structures which are called plaques and tangles, people who get alzheimer’s disease lack of some important chemicals which play the role of transmitting information in their brains. in this situation, the information will not be transmitted effectively, so the patients cannot receive, solve, and remember them. it is said that alzheimer’s disease is a progressive disease. it means that more brain cells will be damaged over time, and the disease will become severe when the symptoms become more and more obvious.

2. what are the symptoms of alzheimer’s disease?

it is said that people with alzheimer’s disease often live for more than eight to ten years only from the first day of realizing the symptoms. however, this disease happens differently to a certain person. therefore, it is necessary to identify it as soon as possible to have suitable treatment. here are some symptoms that you should keep in mind.

3. what are the causes of alzheimer’s disease?

here are some very common causes of alzheimer’s disease:

Read Also: How Long Does It Take For Dementia To Progress

Watch Your Blood Pressure

Healthcare professionals agree that a healthy heart often leads to a healthy brain. Be sure you and your physician are keeping an eye on your blood pressure and are doing your best to keep it at a healthy level. Take any prescribed medications, eat well and add daily exercise to your regular routine.

Consider A Senior Living Community

Senior living communities make keeping up with your cognitive health and overall wellness much easier than if you lived at home alone. Exceptional communities offer more than just socialization opportunities, fitness classes and healthy nutrition at every turn. They are hubs of activity for other adults who want to make wellness the focal point of their retirement.

Learn more about Life Plan Communities, including their benefits and features, by downloading our free resource, The Complete Guide to Life Plan Communities.

Also Check: How Do Die From Alzheimer’s

Removal Of Environmental Risk Factors

Environmental risk factors such as mold, biotoxins, pollution, and other environmental neurotoxins can greatly increase the risk for developing Alzheimers disease.

Neurotoxicants like heavy metals can build up in the body. As these neurotoxicants build up, they contribute to cognitive decline and impaired cognitive function in older adults. Regular exposure to these toxins increases the risk of Alzheimers disease.

Hormone imbalance may also be a significant risk factor for Alzheimers disease. Hormone replacement therapies may be an effective way to reduce this risk.

Can You Prevent Alzheimers Disease

Alzheimerâs is one of the diseases people most want to avoid, and for good reason. There is no proven way to prevent it. But thereâs a lot you can do to lower your chance of getting it.

Doctors donât know exactly why the disease strikes some people and not others, why it gets worse over the years, or how to cure it. And because they donât know the answers to these questions, they also arenât totally sure how to treat it.

Itâs true that Alzheimerâs becomes more common with age. But itâs not a normal part of getting older. Itâs also true that some gene glitches make you more likely to get it.

You canât control aging or your genes, but that doesnât mean you canât do anything about the disease. In fact, the same things that are good for your heart — and the rest of your body — could also help you make Alzheimerâs disease less likely. And a lot of it comes down to simple things you do every day.

Manage your numbers. Do you know if your blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol are too high? Research shows strong connections between Alzheimerâs and conditions like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease. A lot of people donât know that they have these conditions. A checkup could let you know. And you and your doctor can work to manage any health problems you have.

Donât smoke. Avoid all forms of tobacco.

Show Sources

Alzheimerâs Association: âRisk Factors.â

Recommended Reading: Can You Claim Disability For Dementia

What You Should Do For Alzheimers Prevention

Even though we don’t have enough evidence that all healthy lifestyle choices prevent Alzheimer’s, we do know they can prevent other chronic problems. For example, limiting alcohol intake can help reduce the risk for certain cancers, such as breast cancer. Best advice: make as many healthy lifestyle choices as you can. “They’re all beneficial, and if they help you avoid Alzheimer’s, all the better,” says Dr. Marshall.

Top 10 Ways To Prevent Alzheimer’s Disease

Each year, nearly 10 million people are newly diagnosed with dementia around the globe. While there is currently no cure for the condition, scientists have been researching the disease for decades to find out why it happens and what the body goes through as the condition progresses. The Alzheimers Association reports that current research is focused on risk factors ranging from high blood pressure to lack of exercise and how good brain health can prevent or delay the onset of disease.

When it comes to the latest dementia research from across the globe, scientists seem to agree on one thing: prevention. A few lifestyle changes, from the foods you eat to the way you deal with stress, could help you reduce your risk factors.

Here are the top ways to prevent Alzheimers disease by adjusting your lifestyle or habits. Its never too early, or too late, to begin to bolster your cognitive health.

Recommended Reading: Why Do Dementia Patients Hide Things

Can Eating Certain Foods Or Diets Prevent Alzheimer’s Disease

People often wonder if a certain diet or specific foods can help prevent Alzheimer’s disease. The recent NASEM review of research did not find enough evidence to recommend a certain diet to prevent cognitive decline or Alzheimer’s. However, certain diets and healthy eating patterns have been associated with cognitive benefits. Studies of diets, such as the Mediterranean diet and the MIND dieta combination of the Mediterranean and DASH dietsare underway. Learn more about what we know about diet and the prevention of Alzheimer’s disease.

For more information, read What Do We Know About Diet and Alzheimer’s Prevention?

Pillar #: Mental Stimulation

Its important to continue learning new things and challenging your brain throughout life. Whether youre looking to prevent the onset of dementia or delay its progression, when it comes to your brain the key is to use it or lose it. In the groundbreaking NIH ACTIVE study, older adults who received as few as 10 sessions of mental training not only improved their cognitive functioning in daily activities in the months after the training, but continued to show long-lasting improvements 10 years later.

Activities involving multiple tasks or requiring communication, interaction, and organization offer the greatest benefits. Set aside time each day to stimulate your brain:

Learn something new. Study a foreign language, practice a musical instrument, or learn to paint or sew. One of the best ways to take up a new hobby is to sign up for a class and then schedule regular times for practicing. The greater the novelty, complexity, and challenge, the greater the benefit.

Raise the bar for an existing activity. If youre not keen on learning something new, you can still challenge your brain by increasing your skills and knowledge of something you already do. For example, if you can play the piano and dont want to learn a new instrument, commit to learning a new piece of music or improving how well you play your favorite piece.

Follow the road less traveled. Take a new route or eat with your non-dominant hand. Vary your habits regularly to create new brain pathways.

Recommended Reading: Alzheimer’s And Dementia Foundation

Tests For Alzheimers Disease

There are multiple methods of testing for Alzheimers disease. Many tests use something called a biomarker. This is a measurable biological factor that indicates the presence or absence of a disease, along with the risk of developing a disease or the progression of a disease. For example, a high blood glucose level is a biomarker of diabetes.

Doctors can check for biomarkers of this disease using positron emission tomography imaging. The amounts of beta-amyloid and abnormal tau in the brain can be seen on at PET scan. Doctors can also test for levels of these same proteins in cerebrospinal fluid and levels of particular groups of proteins in the blood.

A PET scan can also check levels of glucose metabolism in the brain using the radiotracer fluorodeoxyglucose. Finding a simple and inexpensive test, such as a blood test, to diagnose Alzheimers disease would be ideal for patients, physicians, and scientists. Research is underway to develop a low-cost blood test that can identify the disease up to 20 years before symptoms develop. It may be available as soon as 2023.

Possible Causes And Course Of Alzheimers

There is currently no known cure for Alzheimers disease .

Alzheimers disease is complex and scientists are still trying to understand its causes and course. The disease is described as progressive, which means that it gradually gains force to and destroys brain function, causing severe memory loss .

Being diagnosed with Alzheimers disease changes a persons life. It requires careful medical monitoring and treatment, as well as a safe and supportive environment.

Also Check: Does Medicare Cover In Home Care For Dementia Patients

Why Are Social Activities Good For The Brain

Having a conversation with someone can also exercise a wide range of your mental skills, for example:

• actively listening to and communicating with the other person
• considering the meaning of what someone is trying to tell you and how they feel
• finding the right way to express what you want to say and putting words together in the right order for someone to understand
• recalling things that have happened which are relevant to what youre talking about.

Eat Like A Mediterranean

Over the past decades, research has formed a strong connection between dementia and diet. The Alzheimers Association reports that heart-healthy eating may also end up protecting the brain just as much as the heart.

Currently, there are two diets that might be the most beneficial to lowering the risk of dementia: the DASH diet and the Mediterranean diet. The DASH diet, or Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension diet, focuses on eating more vegetables, whole grains, fish, poultry, beans and vegetable oils. Similarly, the Mediterranean diet discourages red meat, instead encouraging more grains, fruits, vegetables, fish and olive oil.

Which one should you choose? The National Institutes of Health reports that eating a Mediterranean diet can decrease risk of age-related dementia, but the DASH diet is also showing promising results in research studies as well. Talk to your physician about which might be best for you.

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A Look At The Evidence

Studies that observed changes in thinking of people who ate the Mediterranean or MIND diet suggest it might help the brain. For example:

• In one observational study of 116 cognitively normal adults, those who followed a Mediterranean diet had thicker cortical brain regions than those who did not. These brain regions shrink in people with Alzheimers, so having thicker regions could mean cognitive benefit.
• A follow-up observational study showed lower glucose metabolism and higher levels of beta-amyloid protein both seen in Alzheimers in people who did not follow the Mediterranean diet closely, compared to those who did.
• An analysis of diet and other factors found that, after an average of 4.5 years, people who adhered most closely to the MIND diet had a 53% reduced rate of Alzheimers disease compared to those who did not follow the diet closely.
• In a similar study, following the MIND diet was associated with a substantial slowing of cognitive decline during an average of almost 5 years.
• The Age-Related Eye Disease Studies originally looked at diet and eye disease. Further analysis by the researchers showed that people who followed the Mediterranean-style diet had a lower risk of developing cognitive problems while maintaining a higher level of cognitive function.

Reducing Your Risk Of Cardiovascular Disease

Cardiovascular disease has been linked with an increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia.

You may be able to reduce your risk of developing these conditions as well as other serious problems, such as strokes and heart attacks by taking steps to improve your cardiovascular health.

These include:

• keeping alcohol to a minimum
• eating a healthy, balanced diet, including at least 5 portions of fruit and vegetables every day
• exercising for at least 150 minutes every week by doing moderate-intensity aerobic activity , or as much as you’re able to
• making sure your blood pressure is checked and controlled through regular health tests
• if you have diabetes, make sure you keep to the diet and take your medicine

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Be Sure To Take Your Vitamins And Memory

If youre serious about the prevention of Alzheimers and improving memory loss, you should definitely take a high potency multiple vitamin and mineral capsule. Be sure the vitamin formula you choose contains folic acid and vitamin C. Folic acid reduces homocysteine levelshigh homocysteine levels put you at risk for both heart disease and memory loss. Vitamin C has been shown to reduce your risk of Alzheimers disease by 20% when taken with vitamin E. To take advantage of its fullest benefits, you should take a dose of 2,000 mg of vitamin C per day.

When you create a balanced diet that puts your overall wellbeing at the forefront, youre not only doing good for your body, but youre also supporting and enhancing your memory as well.

Consider including the following memory-specific nutrients in your daily vitamin plan:

• coenzyme Q10

Discover our latest research update in the Summer 2014 White Paper.

Natural Ways To Prevent Alzheimers

By Dr. Brandon Colby MD, a physician-expert in the fields of Genomics and Personalized Preventive Medicine.

Everyone knows that living long enough to reach your old age is a privilege. Even if we dont like some of the normal effects of aging wrinkles, a slower metabolism, not knowing how to use social media , being able to enjoy your golden years with your loved ones is something that not everyone gets to experience.

However, aging also increases your risk of developing certain diseases. Out of all the illnesses commonly associated with old age, Alzheimers disease is probably one of the scariest ones out there. The manifestation of this disease, such as memory loss, cognitive decline, and disorientation, is difficult for patients and their caregivers to come to terms with.

Alzheimers disease is the leading cause of cognitive impairment in seniors around the world, and it usually affects people over the age of 65. As you get older, your risk of developing this disease continues to increase.

We know that there are genetic risk factors of Alzheimers that play an important role in determining whether someone is affected by Alzheimers or not. But in addition to your DNA information, certain lifestyle choices lead to a lower risk of dementia and Alzheimers disease.

Lets talk about how natural lifestyle changes can be used for Alzheimers prevention.

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