6 Ways to Protect Yourself Against Alzheimer's and Dementia

Just read this new article at Yahoo health - http://health.yahoo.net/articles/alzheimers/6-ways-protect-yourself-against-alzheimers-and-dementia

The article has some interesting things to say about lowering the risk of Alzheimer's.

1. It recommends physical activity.

From the article- Research from the University of Illinois has suggested that regular aerobic activity—like running, walking, or bicycling, which require oxygen to produce energy—may do a better job of protecting brain function than nonaerobic activity, which does not recruit oxygen and uses short bursts of motion (golf, tennis, and lifting weights). Reaping the cognitive benefits of pumping oxygen- and sugar-rich blood to the brain won't require high intensity exercise, says William Thies, chief medical and scientific officer of the Alzheimer's Association. The Alzheimer's Association advises picking activities you like and doing them regularly for at least 30 minutes a day.

My comment - I'm not a doctor or a scientist, just a webmaster, but I wonder how is it that lifting weights doesn't use oxygen? I'm more winded lifting weights than walking. Still I think a person is definitely better off doing more than one type of exercise. Every physical activity we do affects us in a different way by using different muscle groups, switching from fast twitching muscle fibers to slow, etc. Walking certainly is a relaxing way to exercise. When it's warm, I have fun walking and talking to my wife as we go around the park. The best way to exercise in my opinion is lots of variety. If you want to be fit, and live a long healthy life, then getting into many different types of physical activity increases your chances for that a lot more than only doing one type of exercise. Think of it as an 401K of exercise. Don't put all your eggs in one basket so to speak.

2. Weight control

From the article -  The heavier a person is, the more likely he or she may be to develop Alzheimer's. Thompson published research that found that the brains of older individuals who were obese (with a body mass index over 30) had approximately 8 percent less brain volume than subjects of normal weight (BMI between 18.5 and 25). When brain-volume loss reaches about 10 percent, Thompson says, symptoms like memory trouble or confusion appear. Earlier studies have suggested that people who are obese in midlife have a threefold increased risk of developing Alzheimer's, and those who are overweight (considered a BMI between 25 and 30) have a twofold increased risk. This is due, at least in part, to the fact that with added pounds, fat gets deposited in the brain and narrows blood vessels that deliver fuel, Thompson theorizes. Over the long term, brain cells die and vital connections and volume are lost.

My comment -Can't argue with those findings. Eating right and exercising is the simple solution here. I think people are waking up to the fact that it's not written in stone you have to eat sugary foods all day. Some people actually think they can't survive without a Coke or Pepsi every day. I know because I was one of them. Not only did I find out I didn't need a soft drink every day, I learned I can survive on only healthy food all day long every day, with the occasional treat of course.

3. Mental challenges

From the Article - The brain's ability to reorganize neural pathways with new information or experiences means it's regularly changing; we can even generate new brain cells. But you need to work it. The general guideline, says Neil Buckholtz, chief of the dementias of aging branch at the National Institute on Aging, is regularly engaging in "some kind of new learning that challenges you." No one knows exactly what works, though population research has shown that having more years of formal education seems to be protective. Folks with lots of schooling can still get Alzheimer's, but the disease may appear later. From that, some extrapolate that lifelong curiosity and learning may have benefits.

My comments - This is good because I've been taking classes at college. All I can say is the brain is like any other muscle. It needs activity.

4. Social connections

From the article - Research has found that people with larger social networks, while they had similar amounts of the plaques and tangles of Alzheimer's as did more isolated people, were less affected cognitively. And separate research suggests that psychological distress over the long term significantly raises a person's risk of developing Alzheimer's. Thies predicts that science will eventually reveal that "this kind of interaction stimulates the brain to make new connections" that perhaps help compensate for decline.

5. Healthy diet

The article recommends these foods - plenty of veggies and fruits with dark skins, like spinach, beets, red bell peppers, onions, eggplants, prunes, blackberries, strawberries, red grapes, oranges, and cherries, according to the Alzheimer's Association. Also green, leafy cruciferous vegetables, in particular, are helpful. Eating fish high in omega-3 fatty acids may be beneficial. So may some nuts, such as almonds, walnuts, and pecans, that have high levels of vitamin E the article says. Also it goes on to say that Research published in the Archives of Neurology suggested that the Mediterranean diet appears to be protective against Alzheimer's. Some animal research has shown that curcumin, which is in the curry spice turmeric, suppresses the buildup of beta-amyloid, a main component in the harmful plaques in the Alzheimer's-afflicted brain.

6. Chronic disease control

From the article - Buckholtz notes that "high blood pressure in old age is a very strong risk factor for developing Alzheimer's later on, but if you can keep the blood pressure down, that decreases your risk." And a study published in the journal Dementia & Geriatric Cognitive Disorders found that people in their 40s who had mildly elevated cholesterol were at greater risk of developing Alzheimer's later in life. A sizable body of evidence suggests that type 2 diabetes and heart disease affect the brain and perhaps the development or severity of Alzheimer's.

My comments: So there you have it. After a while a lot of health information just boils down to common sense. We all know that the junk we get at the super market that's processed and ready to eat is hazardous for our health in the long run, and we all know that physical activity is good for us.  Scientists spend their lives doing research that we all should know by now. I love getting the specifics don't get me wrong, but there isn't any need to wait around for a scientist to tell us all the bad things that eating junk food will do to us. Stop the madness! Junk food is an addiction just like cigarettes' and whiskey. Just like the song says, they'll drive you crazy, they'll drive you insane.

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