5 Golden Rules to Prevent Dementia

How to prevent and reduce your risk of dementia

The following are some things you can do to reduce your risk of dementia:

• Be physically active. This should include both aerobic and resistance activities for about 150 minutes a week at moderate intensity.
• Eat healthily by consuming at least 5 portions of fruits and vegetables a day and protein at least twice a week. Limit sugar, salt and saturated fat intake. Eat starchy foods moderately and drink 6 – 8 glasses of water a day.
• Don’t smoke. If you are currently smoking, talk to your healthcare provider about the different methods to stop smoking and choose one that best works for you.
• Drink less alcohol. Limit your drinks to no more than 6 pints of beer or 10 small glasses of wine per week.
• Exercise your mind by doing activities that challenge yourself mentally, such as studying, learning a new language, doing crosswords, playing board games, reading books or writing and being socially active.

With Alzheimer’s being the most common cause of dementia, the following 5 tips will equip you with relevant information to help you prevent or combat Alzheimer’s.

Clock in regular exercise

Did you know regular physical exercise เล่นเกมคาสิโน UFABET ทันสมัย ฝากถอนง่าย can reduce your risk of developing dementia by up to 50%? Exercise can also slow further deterioration in those who have already started to develop cognitive problems.

Exercise for at least 30 minutes, 5 times a week. You could walk, jog, cycle, swim or join a dance group. Add strength or weight training sessions to your weekly routine – these exercises don’t just build muscle, they help you maintain brain health. Weight training exercises don’t just mean lifting weights – hiking, dancing, jogging and walking count as well!

As you age, you may be more at risk of head injuries from falls, which in turn increase your risk of injuring your brain. Balance and coordination exercises can help you stay agile and avoid falls. Balance and coordination exercises include taichi, yoga, pilates or exercises using balance balls.

Opt for a healthy diet

Research suggests that making the right food choices could protect your brain function and lower your odds of getting dementia. Additionally, for a person with dementia, proper nutrition can keep the body strong and ease behavioural symptoms.

Less sugar and saturated fat. Sugary foods, refined carbs and fatty foods can lead to weight gain, putting you at the risk of further health problems such as diabetes. Diabetes has been closely linked to Alzheimer’s. Read food labels, watching out for the amount of sugar and saturated fat a product contains, and seek out healthier options.

Follow a Mediterranean diet. A Mediterranean diet is high in whole grains, vegetables, nuts, legumes, spices, oily fish, olive oil and other foods high in omega fats, while being low in red meat, refined foods and sugar. Mounting research shows that the DHA found within these healthy fats may help prevent Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. Food sources include cold-water fish such as salmon, tuna, trout, mackerel, seaweed, and sardines. You can also supplement with fish oil. 

Enjoy your tea. According to a study in the December 2016 Journal of Nutrition, Health & Ageing, frequent and regular consumption of tea – whether black, green or oolong – is linked to a lower risk of dementia. It is suggested that the benefits of tea on the brain come from the bioactive compounds in tea, catechins and theaflavins, which contain anti-inflammatory and antioxidant potential and other brain-protecting properties.

Supplement your diet. Vitamin B3 and B6 are needed by the body to form neurotransmitters, making them important for the healthy functioning of the nervous system and brain. Vitamin D is a strong anti-inflammatory and immune boosting nutrient. Which may help to slow the onset and development of dementia. Vitamin E has also been found helpful in preventing dementia diseases such as Alzheimer’s.

Stimulate your mind

If you don’t keep your body active it will start to lose its muscle and fitness. Your brain is no different.

Mental challenges help to build up the brain, making it less vulnerable to developing the lesions that can cause Alzheimer’s disease. Mental stimulation can also help to slow brain deterioration in people who already have the disease.

Learn something new. Practise a musical instrument, pick up a foreign language, read a good book, take up a new hobby. The greater the novelty and challenge, the greater the benefit.

Play strategy games and puzzles. Brain teasers and riddles can give you a mental workout and train your brain to form and maintain cognitive associations. Crossword puzzles, board games, cards, Scrabble and Sudoku are all great options.

Break convention. Eat with your non-dominant hand, take a new route home, break an old habit. doing something out of your comfort zone generates new brain pathways.

Reduce stress

Persistent stress takes a toll on the brain, increasing the risk of dementia. In fact, many studies have linked anxiety with the development of Alzheimer’s, especially in people who are already at risk for the disease.