Dementia is an umbrella word used to cover a number of degenerative illnesses that impair memory and cognition, and it affects about 55 million people globally.
Between half and seventy-five percent of dementia cases are caused by Alzheimer’s disease.
Family history, race, and ethnicity are thought to be important dementia risk variables that are outside of our control.
However, a recent study indicates that six lifestyle practices—exercise, social connection, leisure activities, restful sleep, abstaining from alcohol and tobacco—can dramatically lower our chance of dementia.
Here are some lifestyle tips to help reduce the risk of dementia.
Researchers assigned participants in a Chinese study, which was just published in the Journal of Affective Disorders, a score between zero and six according to how healthy their lifestyle was, and they followed them for two years.
When the trial started, they were dementia-free and 60 years of age or older. According to the findings, people with a score of at least four had a 29% lower likelihood of exhibiting cognitive decline symptoms, which are a marker of dementia.
An 18% decreased chance of deterioration was associated with every one-point rise in the overall score.
On the other hand, people who led an inactive lifestyle and scored three points or lower were three times more likely to suffer from cognitive impairment than people who scored higher.
Exercise
Simply being active for ten minutes a day, most days of the week, was used to evaluate physical activity.
According to a new study that was published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, frequent exercise, even a few thousand steps a day, is linked to a greater brain volume, which suggests that less exercise is needed than previously believed to maintain cognitive function.
“Our research supports earlier studies that show being physically active is good for your brain,” study author Dr. Cyrus A. Raji said in a December statement. Exercise helps preserve brain growth, which is important as we age and reduces the chance of dementia.
Smoking
One point was given for overall health to those who had never smoked or had stopped. This reward system is consistent with recent findings that smoking increases the chance of Alzheimer’s disease by sharply and shrinks the brain.
Senior study author Dr. Laura J. Bierut stated in January that “until recently, scientists overlooked the effects of smoking on the brain, in part because we were focused on all the terrible effects of smoking on the lungs and the heart.”
“However, smoking is also really bad for your brain, as we’ve started to look at the brain more closely,” she continued.
Alcohol
Individuals who indicated that they drank alcohol infrequently received a point toward living a healthy lifestyle. This is consistent with earlier study showing a connection between alcohol use and cognitive deterioration.
An 8% increased risk of dementia has been found in those who consume three or more alcoholic beverages daily compared to those who do not drink at all.
Social contact
A point was given toward cognitive health to participants who engaged in social activities in their community more frequently than three times per month or three times per week.
Social isolation poses a serious risk to one’s health. The loneliness epidemic has been linked to early death, an increased risk of coronary heart disease and stroke, stress, and depressive symptoms in addition to an increased risk of dementia.
According to experts, socialization that occurs face-to-face is more important for stimulating the brain and fostering a sense of connection than social media contacts.
Leisure activities
A point was awarded for favorable health behaviors to participants who said they read books or newspapers every day, used the internet every day, or played cards at least twice a week.
A purposeful and enjoyable technique to keep the mind active is to engage it.
Sleep quality
The capacity to fall and stay asleep without trouble was identified by researchers as the measure of sleep quality. It is commonly known that good sleep quality and cognitive function are related.
Seven to nine hours of sleep every night is advised by experts to reduce the risk of obesity, heart disease, depression, and other chronic disorders.
Apart from these six lifestyle tips, studies have demonstrated that a Mediterranean diet and the avoidance of processed foods can reduce the incidence of dementia by as much as 23%.
What’s the lesson learned? Consume vegetables, exercise, reduce alcohol intake, stop smoking, get enough sleep, use your brain, and maintain social interactions.
