What Are The Top Ten Ways To Naturally Prevent Dementia:
It is important to address many of the underlying causes of dementia. Dementia is a multifactorial condition.
The Paleo diet is rich in essential protein, fats and the right type of carbohydrates to support brain health. It is highly anti-inflammatory and nutrient-dense. It provides the antioxidants and nutrients needed for optimal neurotransmitter function.
Research has shown that the currently popular high carbohydrate diet is evolutionarily discordant and contributes to Alzheimers disease development by altering lipid metabolism and damaging cells .
The suns UVB rays hit the skin and convert cholesterol in the skin to vitamin D. The sun is your best source of vitamin D. Vitamin D deficiencies have been liked to an increased risk of developing dementia .
Additionally, abnormal cholesterol levels have also been associated with the development of dementia and Alzheimers disease . The sun is a powerful tool for keeping brain cells happy and healthy by regulating cholesterol levels and increasing vitamin D concentrations.
Cognitive- stimulating activities such as reading a book, learning a new hobby or even doing a puzzle have been shown to prevent dementia.
Exercising your mind is beneficially similar to exercising your body. It helps to increase the strength and communication between neuron connections.
Education And Midlife And Late
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How Does Brain Activity Help
Studies of animals show that keeping the mind active may:
- Reduce the amount of brain cell damage that happens with Alzheimer’s
- Support the growth of new nerve cells
- Prompt nerve cells to send messages to each other
When you keep your brain active with exercises or other tasks, you may help build up a reserve supply of brain cells and links between them. You might even grow new brain cells. This may be one reason scientists have seen a link between Alzheimer’s and lower levels of education. Experts think the extra mental activity from education may protect the brain by strengthening connections between its cells.
Neither education nor brain exercises are a sure way to prevent Alzheimer’s. But they may help delay symptoms and keep the mind working better for longer.
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What Is The Difference Between Dementia And Alzheimers Disease
Dementia is an umbrella term for all of the symptoms that affect the brain such as memory loss, a decline in activities of daily living, impaired reasoning, personality changes and a loss of communication abilities. Alzheimers disease is a specific term for the most common form of dementia.
Dementia is a syndrome, not a specific disease. A syndrome is a condition with a similar set of symptoms. Dementia is a set of symptoms that affects the brains processes and function and leads to cognitive decline.
The Mediterranean And Mind Diets And Alzheimers
One diet that shows some promising evidence is the Mediterranean diet, which emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, fish, and other seafood unsaturated fats such as olive oils and low amounts of red meat, eggs, and sweets. A variation of this, called MIND incorporates the DASH diet, which has been shown to lower high blood pressure, a risk factor for Alzheimers disease.
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Other Ways To Take Care Of Your Health Other Ways To Take Care Of Your Health
Get a good nights sleep Get a good nights sleep.
Sleep is important for your mental wellbeing and it may reduce your risk of dementia. A good nights sleep for many people is around seven to eight hours.
Obstructive sleep apnoea is a sleep disorder that may particularly increase a persons risk of getting dementia. This is because it reduces the amount of oxygen that gets to the brain. People who have sleep apnoea stop breathing during their sleep and then wake up with a start.
If you have any problems sleeping well, particularly sleep apnoea, speak to your GP about getting support.
Protect your hearing and get it tested Protect your hearing and get it tested.
Hearing loss may increase your risk of getting dementia. However the reasons for this are still unclear.
Many people start to lose their hearing as they get older, though they may not notice it at first.
To avoid hearing loss increasing your risk of getting dementia, its important to get your hearing tested. You may be able to book a free hearing test at your local optician or speak to your GP about being referred to an audiologist . This will show up any hearing issues and provide ways of managing them, such as using a hearing aid.
Often, managing hearing loss works best when you start doing it early on. This means protecting your hearing from a young age. For example, you can avoid listening to loud noises for long periods, and wear ear protection when necessary.
Protect your head Protect your head.
Dementia Prevention: 5 Steps To Take Now
While forgetfulness and problems thinking most often show up in people age 60 or older, medical research is discovering that the disease starts making changes in the brain many years before that.
In a 2017 article in JAMA Neurology, the authors looked at data from 15,744 people from all over the country to see the relationship between smoking, diabetes and elevated blood pressure and the chance of developing dementia over 25 years.
People with high blood pressure in middle age increased their risk of having dementia over the next 25 years by 40%. And in the case of diabetes, that risk goes up by 80%. Thats almost as much of an increased risk as having a genetic vulnerability for Alzheimers.
Healthy choices and lifestyle changes in your 40s may make a difference in your dementia risk. Talk to your doctor about strategies to guard against plaque buildup and narrowing of your arteries:
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Enjoy A Brain Healthy Diet
Research suggests the foods that are good for your heart and body may also be good for brain health and protect against dementia. Australian dietary guidelines provide advice about what to include, and avoid, in your healthy diet.
Based on current evidence, nutritionists recommend that you:
- Eat a variety of foods, including fruits and vegetables, to ensure adequate nutrient intake.
- Reduce your intake of saturated fats by choosing fish, lean red meat, chicken without skin and reduced-fat dairy products. Limit butter, deep fried foods, pastries, cakes and biscuits.
- Choose unsaturated fats such as olive, canola, sunflower and safflower oils.
- Consider including foods rich in omega-3 fats in your diet, such as soy, canola and flaxseed oils, and fish.
Ways To Reduce The Risk Of Dementia
There is no way to prevent all types of dementia however, having a healthy lifestyle and managing chronic conditions help improve overall health and reduce the risk.
Studies suggest that about a third of dementia cases might be delayed or prevented by addressing potentially modifiable risk factors.
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Researchers Continue To Seek Answers
The idea of Alzheimers as a metabolic disease that affects the brain, and Alzheimers markers such as glucose metabolism, have led scientists in various directions. Besides the Mediterranean diet and its variations, they are looking at other diets as well as individual foods and nutrients.
For example, the ketogenic diet is a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet that prompts the production of ketones, chemicals that help brain cells work. Studies show that this diet may affect gut bacteria in distinctive ways in people with and without cognitive impairment, and may help brain cells better use energy, improving their overall function.
Researchers are seeking answers to these questions:
- Which foods are critical to brain health and should be included in diet-based interventions?
- Which groups of people are most likely to benefit from dietary interventions targeting prevention of dementia and cognitive decline?
- Can dietary interventions introduced in midlife lead to better outcomes?
These clinical trials are recruiting participants to test dietary interventions:
To learn more or to find a trial near you, visit the Alzheimers.gov Clinical Trials Finder.
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.
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Avoid Excess Alcohol Consumption
Drinking an excessive amount of alcohol can damage your brain and increase your risk of dementia. Long-term excessive alcohol consumption can cause brain damage and lead to a condition called alcohol-related dementia. It may also increase the risk of Alzheimers disease and other dementias.
If you do drink alcohol, do so in moderation. Follow the Australian guidelines to reduce health risks from drinking alcohol. The guidelines recommend no more than two standard drinks per day for both men and women. Every drink above this level increases your lifetime risk of a number of conditions, including dementia.
Some evidence suggests that drinking in moderation might decrease the risk of dementia slightly more than not drinking alcohol at all. Alcohol can increase health risks for people with some conditions, or if they are taking certain medications. More research is needed in this area, so ask your doctor if you have any questions.
Your doctor can give advice about how much alcohol is safe for you and help you to reduce your drinking if you are consuming too much. Your doctor can write you a low-risk drinking prescription , prescribe medications or refer you to specialist help if needed.
Interventions For Neuropsychiatric Symptoms Of Dementia
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Pillar #: Social Engagement
Human beings are highly social creatures. We dont thrive in isolation, and neither do our brains. Staying socially engaged may even protect against symptoms of Alzheimers disease and dementia in later life, so make developing and maintaining a strong network of friends a priority.
You dont need to be a social butterfly or the life of the party, but you do need to regularly connect face-to-face with someone who cares about you and makes you feel heard. While many of us become more isolated as we get older, its never too late to meet others and develop new friendships:
- Join a club or social group.
- Visit your local community center or senior center.
- Take group classes .
- Get to know your neighbors.
- Make a weekly date with friends.
The Link Between Traumatic Brain Injury And Dementia Risk
Traumatic brain injury , a risk factor in midlife, is often caused by injuries sustained from automobile, sports accidents and exposure to blasts among members of the military. Severe TBI is linked to abnormal tau proteins, a biomarker of Alzheimers. People aged 50 years or older with a history of TBI are at an increased risk of dementia compared to those without TBI.
Meanwhile, falls are the leading cause of TBI among older adults. And older adults with concussion have double the risk of dementia.
Heres what you can do:To reduce risk of falls for older adults, doing balance exercises and maintaining muscle strength especially in the legs is crucial, Larson said. Lookout for items around your home which can cause a trip. And avoid walking on slick surface barefoot or with stockings.
Read more about past research on TBI and dementia among military veterans, and the different proteins involved in TBI.
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What Do We Know About Diet And Prevention Of Alzheimer’s Disease
Can eating a specific food or following a particular diet help prevent or delay dementia caused by Alzheimers disease? Many studies suggest that what we eat affects the aging brains ability to think and remember. These findings have led to research on general eating patterns and whether they might make a difference.
The Mediterranean diet, the related MIND diet , and other healthy eating patterns have been associated with cognitive benefits in studies, though the evidence is not as strong as it is for other interventions like physical activity, blood pressure and cognitive training. Currently, researchers are more rigorously testing these diets to see if they can prevent or delay Alzheimers disease or age-related cognitive decline.
Top 10 Ways To Prevent Alzheimer’s Disease
Each year, nearly 10 million peopleare 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.
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Pillar #: Stress Management
Chronic or persistent stress can take a heavy toll on the brain, leading to shrinkage in a key memory area, hampering nerve cell growth, and increasing the risk of Alzheimers disease and dementia. Yet simple stress management tools can minimize its harmful effects and protect your brain.
Breathe! Quiet your stress response with deep, abdominal breathing. Restorative breathing is powerful, simple, and free!
Schedule daily relaxation activities. Keeping stress under control requires regular effort. Learning relaxation techniques such as meditation, progressive muscle relaxation, or yoga can help you unwind and reverse the damaging effects of stress.
Nourish inner peace. Regular meditation, prayer, reflection, and religious practice may immunize you against the damaging effects of stress.
Make fun a priority. All work and no play is not good for your stress levels or your brain. Make time for leisure activities that bring you joy, whether it be stargazing, playing the piano, or working on your bike.
Keep your sense of humor. This includes the ability to laugh at yourself. The act of laughing helps your body fight stress.
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?
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Evaluating The Latest Alzheimer’s Disease Prevention Research
A recent review of research looked carefully at the evidence on ways to prevent or delay Alzheimer’s dementia or age-related cognitive decline. Led by a committee of experts from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine , the review found “encouraging but inconclusive” evidence for three types of interventions:
The evidence for other interventions, such as medications and diet, was not as strong. However, scientists are continuing to explore these and other possible preventions.
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.
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Stay Mentally And Socially Active
Engaging in mental or social activities may help to build up your brains ability to cope with disease, relieve stress and improve your mood. This means doing these activities may help to delay, or even prevent, dementia from developing.
Find activities you enjoy that challenge your brain, and do them regularly. This could be puzzles or crosswords, but there are also many other activities you could do.
Anything that engages your mind, processes information and develops your thinking skills is good for the brain and reducing your risk. For example:
- any kind of adult education or learning
- arts and crafts
- playing a musical instrument or singing
- doing brainteasers, such as puzzles, crosswords or quizzes
- playing card games, chess or board games
- reading books, or becoming a member of a book club
- creative writing or keeping a diary
- learning a new language.
If you use a smartphone or tablet you might enjoy apps that can provide mental stimulation. These include puzzle, memory or board game apps.
Social activities are also good for the brain, making them a great way to reduce your risk of getting dementia. This includes interacting with other people online as well as in person. This means its important to try to keep in touch with the people who matter to you, such as friends and family.