Reduce your risk of Alzheimer's disease and dementia

Alzheimer's disease and dementia are becoming more prevalent in North American society. Your particular level of risk may vary according to your lifestyle and genes. This being said, there are some things that might help you to reduce the risk, wherever you stand on that scale.

1. Healthy diet: eating a diet that has a lot of dark colored fruits and vegetables is often recommended for these purposes. Such foods offer a lot of antioxidants and are generally quite high in nutrients. These compounds are often associated with the prevention of Alzheimer's disease and dementia but are also used to slow down the progression of the illnesses.

2. Physical activity: exercise encourages blood circulation, including that which flows through your brain. This blood circulation helps to keep these parts of your body healthy, which in turn, may help to prevent the onset of Alzheimer's disease and dementia.

3. Mental activity: participating in mental activities has the ability to strengthen brain cells. These actions may also create new nerve cells. Such activities include word find games, Sudoku and crossword puzzles but there are plenty of others to choose from.

4. Social activity: being around friends and family for enjoyable moments reduces stress levels. When this is accomplished, the connections between brain cells have a better chance of staying healthy.

All of these components have the ability to reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease and dementia. While there may still be some risk for the development of these illnesses in certain individuals, being able to slow the onset of the conditions through these actions may at least offer a better quality of life.

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, Newfoundland and Labrador Health Examiner

Jeannette Payne-Shevchuk is a freelance writer, concentrating in health and business. Seemingly unrelated, she believes the two topics can have a huge influence on each other. Although she has the education to back up her research, much of her desire to grow and share this knowledge comes from...

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