Remembering simple and effective recommendations.
Expand your social circle
Loneliness is bad for the brain. American scientists have found that people who consider themselves lonely are more likely to get senile dementia (dementia). Conversely, communication improves certain cognitive functions: concentration, self-control, and working memory. But if this is not a friendly conversation, but an argument, then there will be no benefit.
Scientists from Sweden have proven that wide social connections prevent the development of dementia. They conducted 15-year observations and found that people who have many social circles are less likely to get dementia.
Train your brain
Low educational attainment is associated with a higher risk of dementia. One study from Columbia University College of Medicine shows that continuous learning and active professional activity can help prevent Alzheimer’s disease.
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It is important how you spend your leisure time. So, scientists have proven that learning foreign languages will delay the symptoms of dementia by four years. The researchers believe that language learning develops areas of the brain that control executive function and attention. However, you can do whatever you want: play board games, solve puzzles, read, teach dance or learn other skills. Psychologists believe that such training creates an additional cognitive reserve for the brain, and dementia occurs later.
Lead a healthy lifestyle and control the condition of the body
Proper nutrition and exercise protects your brain from aging. For example, in a large study, researchers looked at 200,000 participants and determined that a healthy lifestyle reduces the risk of dementia in old age. The pattern works even if the person has a genetic predisposition to the disease.
- Eat vegetables for breakfast. You should not eat only scrambled eggs with sausage and bread. Add some greens, tomatoes or cucumbers to it. This way, you will not only fill up on food, but also fill your intestines with fiber and beneficial antioxidants. If it seems to you that it is difficult, then you are mistaken. Just stock up on vegetables, and if you don’t feel like eating them raw, you can toss them in the pan along with the eggs.
- Try eating more protein for breakfast. A person needs 30 grams of protein with a meal to keep their muscles toned and feel full after eating. For example, three eggs equals approximately 21 grams of protein. For the remaining nine grams, use a bowl of Greek yogurt or cottage cheese. Or smoked salmon on toasted toast. Or add some cheese to the scrambled eggs, or finally another egg.
- Eat more apples. One medium apple contains four grams of fiber, which is enough to make you feel a little better. You can also use an apple to check if you are actually hungry. After all, quite often we want to have a quick snack, but not because we are hungry, but because we are bored or tired. Usually in such cases, we prefer chips or some kind of chocolate bars, but not apples. In this case, ask yourself the question, “Am I hungry enough to eat an apple?” If the answer is no, then you are not hungry enough for a snack. If positive, just eat an apple (not chips).
- Add more herbs to your food. Fresh herbs have no calories, but they bring with them a unique aroma, taste and a pleasant bonus in the form of antioxidants. By the way, pay attention to the word “fresh”. Dried oregano is good for pizza, and dried dill can be added to some tuna salad, but fresh herbs can and should be added anywhere and in any amount. You can start by adding some green onions to your scrambled eggs, then you can start experimenting with parsley, dill, cilantro, and so on.
- Eat fruit for dessert. Cold slices of orange, pineapple, melon or watermelon are all you need for the perfect dessert. Forget about cream cakes and butter cookies for a while. If you’re not sweet enough, you can pour honey on it and add a little yogurt for creaminess.
- Set yourself a time after which to stop eating. You don’t have to stick to the common 6pm barrier. For example, you can tell yourself that you will not eat after 8pm. This is also a normal time, after which you can cancel all snacks and evening snacks. The fact is that after a huge plate of pasta and meat it is quite difficult to go to bed (and waking up is even more difficult). Your body will spend a lot of resources processing this food and you will not be able to properly recuperate.
- Don’t forget to enjoy your food. There are many diets that discriminate against your favorite food and prevent you from enjoying it. This unfair demonization of some kind of food does not always lead to something good (especially if you love them very much). Remember that food should bring you not only satisfaction, but also pleasure. So the next time you’re having lunch, breakfast, or dinner, put your smartphone away and focus on what’s on your plate.
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Start taking care of your health from a young age. A study by scientists from the Salk Institute has shown that exercising under the age of 25 can help maintain cognitive function in old age. Exercise improves blood flow to the brain and increases the size of the hippocampus, which is responsible for memory. Running is one of the best sports to prevent dementia. A major Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory study of 150,000 runners over 11 years found running prevented Alzheimer’s disease. You need to run 15 miles (24 km) a week to reduce your risk by 40%.
Proper nutrition is equally important. Doctors have developed a special diet called MIND (mind) that protects the brain from aging. Also, this diet prevents the development of cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
As part of the MIND diet, you should eat:
- a lot of vegetables, fruits, berries and herbs;
- nuts and whole grains
- fish;
- beans;
- poultry meat.
It is better to cook food in olive oil. You can also drink a glass of wine every day.
The MIND diet does not include coffee, but it is an effective way to prevent dementia. A study conducted at the University of Eastern Finland showed that it reduces the risk of illness by 65%, however, you need to drink a lot – 3-5 cups a day.
The state of the brain is highly dependent on the work of other organs. And especially from the cardiovascular system. In a study on a group of twins, it was found that the healthier a person’s heart, the better their cognitive abilities are developed. A study by scientists from California shows that 12% of cases of senile dementia are caused by cardiovascular disease.
A similar relationship was found with type 2 diabetes. People with this disease double the risk of dementia in old age.
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Get regular medical examinations to identify these diseases in time, and follow the doctor’s recommendations for their treatment.
Take care of your head
Over the past 30 years, there have been many works that have shown that traumatic brain injury can cause Alzheimer’s disease years after the accident. For example, one study found that older adults who had previously suffered a mild head injury were 2.3 times more likely to have dementia, and those who had a severe injury were 4.5 times more likely.
Minor injuries are unlikely to have consequences. But if they are repeated often, then this can provoke senile dementia. This happens with boxers or American football players.
Sleep 7-8 hours a day
The risk of developing dementia is greater if you do not sleep enough or sleep too much.
Scientists have found that sleep deprivation contributes to the accumulation of beta-amyloid, a protein that leads to the development of Alzheimer’s disease.
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There is also evidence that if you sleep more than 9 hours, then the risk of developing dementia is higher than for those who sleep 6-8 hours. Finally, the quality of sleep also affects brain health. Interruptions in sleep, restless sleep – all this leads to changes in the tissues of the central nervous system. Use earplugs and curtains to improve your sleep.
Give up bad habits
Both smoking and excessive alcohol consumption contribute to the development of Alzheimer’s disease For example, a large observational study claims that smokers are more likely to suffer from dementia of various origins than those who do not smoke at all or quit. Numerous studies confirm that drinking too much alcohol over time can damage the brain. Alcohol destroys white matter, the nerve fibers that transmit signals between brain cells.
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Doctors are allowed to drink no more than 14 units of alcohol per week. One unit is 30 ml of vodka, 100 ml of wine or 250 ml of beer. However, there is evidence that moderate alcohol consumption protects the brain from Alzheimer’s disease. However, scientists say more research is needed to confirm this fact.