Healthy Lifestyle Habits Can Help You Prevent Alzheimer’s

Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia, is currently on the rise and for which there’s currently no cure. Experts are constantly learning more about Alzheimer’s disease in their effort to come out with better treatments to slow the progression of the disease, delay its symptoms, and disease prevention. Healthy habits may help ward off this complex disorder.

Some of the risk factors of Alzheimer’s include increasing age, family history, and several medical risk factors (a history of head trauma, obesity, diabetes, midlife hypertension), as well as dietary and lifestyle factors.  The prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease is expected to nearly triple in coming decades. Dietary and lifestyle factors like increased intake of saturated fat, Vitamin E, and physical exercise (or the lack of it), among others, are associated with Alzheimer’s risk. However, these factors can be kept in check through some prevention strategies.

Outlining healthy lifestyle actions you should take to keep Alzheimer’s from developing:

Diet– Your diet should comprise foods that have vitamins C, D, and E, omega-3 fats in abundance, and the antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin (a great way to get rid of free radicals from your body, which in high quantities can damage and kill your brain cells). Also, avoid a diet high in trans-fat and saturated fat to keep the health of your brain intact since these fats can lead to inflammation and produce free radicals. Increase your intake of fruits and vegetables and fish rich in omega-3 oils, which can protect against memory loss.

Exercise– Get 30 minutes of exercise every day that won’t just improve your immune system and blood pressure, but your brain as well. Obesity and being overweight can cause inflammation and increase your risk of developing other diseases.

Quit Smoking– The toxins found in first-, second-hand smoke have been associated with an increased risk for developing a number of diseases including Alzheimer’s.

Keep your BP and Cholesterol in a Healthy Range– Heart disease is said to contribute to the progression of Alzheimer’s, high blood pressure and high cholesterol being the biggest risk factors of heart disease. So know your numbers and keep your BP and cholesterol in a healthy range.

Get Adequate Sleep– According to research, poor sleep increases risk for mild cognitive/memory issues. Receiving adequate sleep is an effective Alzheimer’s prevention strategy.

Keep your mind engaged– The best ways to keep your mind active is by taking part in your favorite hobby, learning a new language, learning a musical instrument, playing memory games like picture game, match the picture, match the words, crossword puzzle, etc. Keeping your mind engaged can help you lower the risk of Alzheimer’s, not to mention an overall improvement in your physical and emotional well-being.

Socialize- Having an active social life may reduce the risk of developing dementia. So stay socially engaged, of course in keeping with the Covid-19 protocols.

Stay Informed– Stay in loop about the latest advances in research on preventive activities and treatments for Alzheimer’s or any other disease. Staying informed will stand you in good stead.

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