More Tips for Preventing Alzheimer’s

Facebook
Facebook.com, that online social networking site, may be beneficial for your health.  Studies show that staying in touch with family and friends can ward off memory loss and help with longevity.  Any way that keeps you involved and social in others’ lives is going to aid in your long term mental health.

Fend off falls
You may be more worried about breaking your hip than injuring your head in a fall.  But new research shows that even a mild concussion can damage your brain as much as being in a coma.

• Avoid high heels that make you unstable.
• Practice bathroom safety by using bath mats or non slip tape in your bathtub.
• Stay steady on stairs
• Light your path as eyesight worsens as we get older.
• Keep things within reach.
• Improve your balance with exercises such as tai chi.

Fish as brain food
You can’t go wrong by eating small fish several times a week such as sardines, salmon, etc.   Large fish would also be okay if it weren’t for the fact that the bigger the fish, the greater the mercury pollution.  It is said that the omega-3′s found in fish oil are particularly good for youro brain.

Dr. Joseph Mercola has come up with an alternative sea food that apparently doesn’t contain mercury.  It is krill, a tiny little sea creature smaller than a shrimp.  Of course there are potential negative side effects as well as benefits which you can read about at eHow.com.

Ginkgo
Ginkgo has been used by the Chinese for centuries to improve circulation and sharpen thinking.  It may help boost memory for people in the early stages of Alzheimer’s because it promotes circulation throughout your body, which helps your brain work better.  Even in healthy people, ginkgo can improve short term memory.

Warning: In tests of people in their 70s, 80s and 90s, ginkgo did nothing to delay the onset of dementia.  Ginkgo takers were also more likely to suffer from a stroke.

Mediterranean diet
According to Dr. Oz of RealAge, “People with the lowest dementia risk eat the highest amounts of fruit, veggies, legumes, and fish, but less meat and dairy products. Monounsaturated fats, like olive oil, also accounted for more of their fat intake than saturated fats.

These are all very typical ratios in a Mediterranean-style diet that doctors and health experts alike recommend for all sorts of reasons. These nutrient-dense, healthy-fat-focused foods could help protect brains against disease and cognitive decline and help protect the body from lots of other bad things, too.

Monounsaturated fats.
Lubricate your brain with olive oil. In an Italian study of nearly 300 seniors, those who ate at least 5 tablespoons of olive oil a day tested best on memory and problem solving skills.  Olive oil contains monosaturated fat and also vitamin E and other antioxidants.  Olive oil is an important part of a Mediterranean diet.

Relaxation exercises reduce stress
Research shows that stress, bad news, family arguments, or unexpected work demands can increase memory lapses.  But, you can protect yourself.  In a Harvard study, people who used relaxation exercises for 20 minutes a day saw their attention and responsiveness improve significantly in just five weeks.

If relaxation exercise sounds like an oxymoron it’s because you don’t usually think of relaxation and exercise at the same time.  Relaxation exercises mean specific relaxation behaviors.  They include progressive relaxation, meditation, yoga, deep breathing, tai chi, etc.

Rosemary
Centuries ago, people thought rosemary would help keep their brains sharp and their memories clear.  While there has been no research done, it’s a tasty herb to add to your daily diet.  Your family might think you’re pretty smart and like the taste.

Socialize
Stimulate your brain by interacting with friends and family, visiting neighbors, joining clubs, doing volunteer work and going to church, helps you hold on to mental abilities.

Stay slim to stay sharp
Excess weight could be sapping your brain power.  French researchers measured the body mass index (BMI – a measurement of weight in relation to height) of more than 2,000 middle-aged healthy volunteers and then tested their memory.  Those participants who averaged a BMI of 20 could remember 9 to 16 words on the test, but those who averaged a BMI of 30 could only recall 7 words.

When they were tested 5 years later, the heavier group had lost more memory than the slimmer group.  You can calculate your BMI by logging on to www.prevention.com/bmicalculator.

Kaiser Permanente health plan followed 6,000 members for 36 years, and they found the risk of dementia was triple for those who had larger bellies in middle age.  One reason is that a big waist can boost insulin, which may keep enzymes from breaking down Alzheimer’s plaque.

Trim the fat
A study showed that your risk of developing Alzheimer’s is seven times higher if you eat a high-fat diet, rather than a low-fat diet.

Turmeric
Hardly anyone gets Alzheimer’s in India.  Scientists now think they know the answer.  People in India eat a diet rich in turmeric, the spice that gives curry its yellow color.  Studies show that turmeric is rich in curcumin, a powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory.  It reduces brain inflammation and prevents free radicals from damaging your brain tissue.

Curcumin prevents the spread of amyloid protein plaques, which are thought to cause dementia. Amyloid plaques, along with tangles of nerve fibers, contribute to the degradation of the wiring in brain cells.

There is evidence that people who eat a curry meal two or three times a week have a lower risk of dementia. Researchers are currently testing the impact of higher doses, such as the equivalent of going on a curry spree for a week, to see if they can maximize the effect.

You can buy curcumin as a spice in a health food store, by itself or as an ingredient turmeric or curry.  Try an ounce a day.

Vitamin B3
An article in the Journal of Neuroscience reveals a protective effect of nicotinamide, otherwise known as niacinamide which is part of the vitamin B group.  Tests were done on mice.  The end result was those who received nicotinamide performed mentally at the same level as normal mice, while untreated mice demonstrated memory loss.

Nicotinamide is different from nicotinic cid and niacin.  As such, nicotinamide has not been shown to produce the flushing, itching and burning sensations of the skin as is commonly seen when large doses of nicotinic acid or niacin are administered orally.

To read about the Alzheimer Society’s reaction to the study, click here.

Working out
A six-year study of 1,700 seniors 65 and older found that working out three or more times per week slashed the risk of developing Alzheimer’s and dementia by 35%.  An Australian study found that as little as six months of regular exercise produced improvement in memory and cognitive function in a group of older adults.

In a recent research study, the most active in the study group got about an hour and a half of exercise weekly. That’s just a few 30-minute walks a week — a pretty manageable commitment.  Better yet, aim to walk 30 minutes every day.

Popularity: 1% [?]