How to Prevent Alzheimer's: The Most Effective Ways to Avoid this Rapidly Increasing Disease
by www.SixWise.com
Alzheimer's disease already affects 4.5 million Americans--more
than twice the number that were affected in 1980--but that
number is expected to grow significantly. By the year 2050,
it's estimated that 11.3 million to 16 million Americans may
develop the disease, according to the Alzheimer's Association.
Alzheimer's disease affects the brain, progressively destroying
a person's ability to:
- Learn and reason
- Make judgments
- Carry out daily activities
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Walking and other exercise can improve your mental
ability even as you get older.
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It may also change the person's personality and result in
anxiety, suspiciousness, delusions and hallucinations. There
is currently no known cure. The causes are also unknown, but
one major risk factor is age.
The majority of people with Alzheimer's are over the age
of 65 -- an age after which the changes of developing the
disease double every five years. But, of course, just because
you age or get older does not mean that you will develop Alzheimer's,
and there are, in fact, known methods to prevent this epidemic
disease.
Eat healthy. Your best defense against this disease
appears to be in the food you eat. A recent study published
in Alzheimer's and Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer's
Association found that people who eat the recommended amount
of folate have a much lower risk of developing the disease.
Folates are B-vitamins found in leafy green vegetables, oranges,
legumes and bananas.
But, "Although folates appear to be more beneficial
than other nutrients, the primary message should be that overall
healthy diets seem to have an impact on limiting Alzheimer's
disease risk," said Maria Corrada of the University of
California Irvine's Institute for Brain Aging and Dementia,
who co-led the study. Antioxidant-rich foods are also extremely
important.
Lead a healthy lifestyle. Things like avoiding tobacco
and excess alcohol, exercising and staying socially active
all are linked to a healthy brain, according to the Alzheimer's
Association.
"The major way we've reduced the death rate from heart
disease is through lifestyle changes: eating better, exercising
more, smoking less," said David A. Bennett of Rush University
in Chicago. "It would require a lot of people to change
the way they live, but there's no reason to think we can't
have the same impact on Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia."
To get a complete idea of the most risky lifestyle choices
when it comes to your health and longevity, check out The
Six Worst Lifestyle Choices You Could Make.
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Playing chess and other mind-stimulating games helps
keep your brain healthy.
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Exercise your body. As mentioned above, regular exercise
is important for your brain health. "Walking 45 minutes
three times a week for six months significantly improved mental
ability of older adults with no dementia; a randomly selected
control group that did stretching and toning had no change,"
says Arthur Kramer, a psychologist at the University of Illinois.
Exercise your mind. "Just keeping busy seems
to tune the brain," says neuropsychologist Yaakov Stern
of Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons.
In a seven-year study of 1,800 older adults, Stern found that
the more "leisure pursuits" a person had, the lower
their risk of developing Alzheimer's. Leisure pursuits included:
- Visiting friends
- Playing cards
- Going to the movies
The key is to keep your brain engaged as you age. Try crossword
puzzles, games like chess and checkers, reading,
attending a lecture, volunteering or taking a class that interests
you.
Avoid head injuries. Research has uncovered a strong
link between serious head injury and Alzheimer's. You can
reduce your risk of head injury by always wearing a seat belt
while driving, wearing a helmet on a motorcycle or bicycle
and making sure to remove tripping
hazards around your home.
Try to relax and stay positive. According to the Center
for Healthy Minds, elderly people who experience a lot of
psychological distress (worrying, feeling insecure or nervous)
are more likely to show signs of mental decline. In fact,
one study found that people prone to high levels of distress
were twice as likely to develop symptoms of Alzheimer's disease
after five years than those who were prone to low levels of
distress.
Further, adults who suffer from depression have a higher
risk of developing Alzheimer's than those who show few or
no depressive symptoms.
The Bottom Line
"It's hard to prove a lot of these things, but I'm convinced
there's enough evidence that there is a cause-and-effect relationship,"
said Gary Small of the University of California at Los Angeles,
who developed a "memory prescription" for Alzheimer's
that includes a healthy diet, daily exercise and relaxation
and memory exercises.
Indeed, clinical studies have yet to be performed to test
many methods of Alzheimer's prevention, but when the techniques
are employed in a population, benefits seem to be found.
And, as Small points out, there's nothing to lose, "We
may not have conclusive proof. But the evidence is strong.
And these are all healthy choices for other reasons."
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Sources
The Alzheimer's
Association
USA
Today August 17, 2005
Washington
Post August 14, 2005
Health
Orbit August 12, 2005
Center
for Healthy Minds