Having a family member who has or has had a diagnosis of Alzheimer disease (AD) can be devastating, as watching a loved one slowly lose their memory or getting confused can be truly heartbreaking.
Unfortunately, developing Alzheimer’s disease is fairly common, and the number of people living with the disease doubles every 5 years after age 65, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. It is estimated that this number will nearly triple to 14 million people who will develop Alzheimer’s disease by 2060. Clearly, finding ways to combat this disease is of paramount importance.
More unfortunate news: If you have a family member with Alzheimer’s disease, your chances of developing this disease increase.
Now some good news—the food you eat and the beverages you drink may play a role in reducing your risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, provided you make the right choices.
Many know that foods like blueberries and walnuts they are brain health superstars. But many don’t realize that the fluids we include in our diet can have the same impact as the food we eat when it comes to brain health.
If you have a family member with Alzheimer’s disease, here are some drinking habits to follow if you want to do everything you can to keep your own brain health in tip-top shape. Read on and for more information on how to eat healthy, don’t miss The #1 Best Juice to Drink Every Day, Science Says.
If you enjoy a cocktail From time to time, it doesn’t seem necessary to completely avoid your favorite alcoholic beverage if you’re trying to reduce your risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
Heavy alcohol use, on the other hand, appears to have detrimental effects on the development of Alzheimer’s disease, at least based on data published in the British medical journal. According to these results, those who drank more than 14 units of alcohol per week had a higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease compared to those who drank less than that amount. Interestingly, avoiding alcohol did not appear to offer any additional protective benefit for AD risk.
Abstaining from alcohol and then bingeing from time to time does not seem like the best solution when it comes to meeting that maximum quota. It seems better to enjoy drinking daily in small amounts instead of infrequent binge drinking when it comes to reducing the risk of AD. So a glass of wine every day or a beer every now and then while watching sports can be fine. Do keg stalls or have multiple drinks at the bar? Not that much.
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Most people are happy to start the day with a glass of 100% Orange juiceknowing that this practice can give people a boost of vitamin C that supports the immune system. Less well known is that drinking a glass of orange juice can also be good for your brain health.
Orange juice naturally contains many nutrients that support brain health, including flavonoids (such as hesperidin), thiamin, and vitamin B6.
Of course, one of OJ’s shining stars is vitamin C, a nutrient many have a protective function against age-related cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease. And hesperidin can help maintain healthy blood pressure, which can help reduce the risk of AD, as hypertension increases the risk of AD.
Specific data shows that men who drank orange juice every day were 47 percent less likely to develop poor thinking skills than men who drank less than one serving per month.
While orange juice is considered a breakfast beverage, there’s no reason why it can’t be enjoyed at any time of day. Including this classic citrus drink in your overall healthy diet is a very simple way to naturally support your cognitive health.
These days, there are many teas that are relaxing to sip and delicious to taste. And while including any tea in your diet is unlikely to have any drawbacks, sticking to real teas (such as black, greenand oolong), may offer a unique benefit for cognitive health.
According to data published in the Journal of Nutrition, Health and Aging, frequent intake of true tea is linked to a lower risk of dementia, especially for people genetically predisposed to the disease (such as people with a family member with this disease). Tea leaves have bioactive compounds, such as flavonoids, that offer anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity. In addition, they contain L-theanine, an amino acid that helps regulate brain activities.
Just watch your added sugar, as excessive sugar consumption can increase the risk of AD in some cases.
Without a doubt, enjoying a sugary soda is absolutely satisfying on a hot summer day. But too many sugary drinks (like soda) can increase your risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, so it’s a habit you want to break as soon as possible if you have a family member with the condition.
In fact, consuming one to seven servings of sugar-sweetened beverages, such as sodas, per week made participants in a Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease Prevention study 1.91 times more likely to develop AD compared to those who abstained from sugary drinks. Specifically, an estimated 10-gram per day increase in total sugar intake (about 2.4 teaspoons) is associated with an increased risk of AD by 1.3-1.4%, according to study results different published in Nutritional Neuroscience.
If you love the fizz of soda, try soda water with a hint of flavor for a satisfying exchange that’s so much better for your brain.
If you’re trying to reduce your risk of AD, try drinking green juice. vegetable juice as kale and Spinach helps you consume some of the foods recommended by the mind dietan evidence-based diet that supports brain health.
Kale, in particular, contains kaempferol, a flavonoid that may play a role in reducing AD risk. According to data published in Neurologythose in the top 20% of kaempferol intake had a 50% lower rate of developing Alzheimer’s disease than those in the bottom 20% of intake.
Not a fan of green juices? Add some greens to your smoothies for a more substantial solution to drink.
