From dancing to 2p vitamins – the cheap ways you can prevent dementia before it strikes
DEMENTIA is Britain’s biggest killer but there are a range of cheap lifestyle changes you can make to reduce your risk of developing it.
From dancing to taking 2p vitamins, the simple tweaks don’t have to cost the earth.
The deadly disease affects around 944,000 people living in Britain today, with experts predicting numbers will hit 1million before the end of the decade.
Alzheimer’s is the most common form of the condition, and is thought to be caused by build-ups of proteins in the brain, including tau and amyloid.
There is currently no cure for the disease, although three promising drugs to slow down its progress are currently in trials.
In the meantime, experts say focusing on lifestyle is the best way to lower your chances of the illness developing.
Alzheimer’s Disease International — an international federation of Alzheimer and dementia associations — has provided 12 steps to reduce your risk.
They include avoiding smoking, excessive alcohol, physical activity and low levels of socialising.
Reducing you chances of conditions like diabetes, hearing loss, depression, obesity and high blood pressure can also help ward off the disease.
Recent research has also shown there are a range of cheap, surprising lifestyle changes you can make to prevent dementia before it strikes.
1. Taking 2p vitamins
Multivitamins that cost as little as 2p could stave off Alzheimer’s, a study shows.
Researchers at Mass General Brigham in the US found people who take the tablets every day have slower brain ageing and less memory loss.
They said the improvement was similar to being two years younger.
Dr Chirag Vyas, who works for the hospital in Boston, said: “Cognitive decline is one of the top health concerns for most older adults, and a daily supplement of multivitamins has the potential to slow it.”
The study, published in Elsevier’s The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, asked 573 over-60s to repeat memory and thinking tests over two years.
Some 272 took the multivitamin and 301 had a placebo.
People taking the vitamins had better memory compared to those taking placebo pills and also a “modest benefit” to cognitive abilities.
2. Eating strawberries
Research also shows eating a portion of strawberries every day could help prevent dementia for overweight middle aged people.
The study, published in Nutrients, looked at how eating the fruits impacted the memories of people aged 50 to 65 who already had mild cognitive decline.
It found those eating strawberries had better cognitive function, which could have been caused by lower inflammation of the brain.
Sex is physical exercise and exercise is linked to better cognitive performance by increasing the blood flow in the brain
Prof Shannon Shen
Professor Robert Krikorian, of the University of Cincinnati, in the US, said: “Dementia is a general term that includes many different diseases, all without remedies.
“It is not clear when or if effective therapy will be available — prevention and mitigation through dietary and lifestyle choices is currently the best approach we have.”
He added: “Our findings can likely be attributed to the anti-inflammatory actions of the anthocyanins found in strawberries.”
3. Having more sex
Sex can help protect against dementia by increasing blood flow to the brain, research shows.
The quality of sex and climax was most closely linked to mental sharpness in 62- to 74-year-olds, experts found.
Over-75s, on the other hand, benefited most from romps at least once a week.
Prof Shannon Shen, of Hope College, Michigan, said: “Sex is physical exercise and exercise is linked to better cognitive performance by increasing the blood flow in the brain.
“This may be especially true at older ages because of high rates of sedentary behaviour, so any circulatory benefits from having sex may be important. Although frequency of sex does decrease with age, it may be one way to combat atrophy in the brain.
“It has been shown to be beneficial for a variety of mental and physical health outcomes, including heart health, happiness and wellbeing.”
4. Drinking coffee
Coffee could help prevent a cause of Alzheimer’s building up.
Espresso may stop proteins that are linked to the disease from tangling in the brain, the study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry found.
The drink rendered the protein clumps non-toxic to brain cells, making them less likely to lead to dementia, they said.
Dr Mariapina D’Onofrio, of the University of Verona, said: “These results add insights into the neuroprotective potential of espresso coffee.
“Espresso coffee, a widely consumed beverage, is a source of natural compounds showing beneficial properties.”
5. Dancing
Having a boogie has also been shown to be an effective way of protecting yourself against the memory loss condition.
Not only does it offer a fun way of exercising, but remembering steps and the social element also help stimulate the brain.
One study, published in the Journal of Aging and Physical Activity, found older adults who did six months of ballroom dancing saw better outcomes than those walking on treadmills.
Dr Helena Blumen, of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, said: “Social dancing generated greater improvements on cognitive tests than treadmill walking.”
What are the symptoms of dementia?
Different types of dementia can affect people differently, and everyone will experience symptoms in their own way.
However, there are some common early symptoms that may appear some time before a diagnosis of dementia. These include:
- memory loss
- difficulty concentrating
- finding it hard to carry out familiar daily tasks, such as getting confused over the correct change when shopping
- struggling to follow a conversation or find the right word
- being confused about time and place
- mood changes
Source: The NHS