Take care of your heart and you’ll take care of your brain, and it’s never too late to start
when we think of dementiawe often afraid a loss of control. But the reassuring news is that up to 40 percent of dementia cases can be prevented or delayed if we change our health habits.
Dementia shares key risk factors with cardiovascular disease, including high blood pressure, high blood sugar, being overweight, and smoking. Inflammation and oxidative stress (when protective antioxidants lose their fight against damaging free radicals) follow. This damages the blood vessels and reduces the flow of blood and oxygen to the brain.
Without enough oxygen, brain cells cannot function effectively and eventually die. Reduced blood flow also leaves the brain vulnerable to plates and tangles seen in forms of dementia.
But by changing our habits, we can improve heart health and reduce the risk of dementia. here are five Lifestyle changes we can make today to protect cognitive function tomorrow.
Eat 2 to 3 servings of oily fish each week
Oily fish, such as salmon, sardines and mackerel, are rich in omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. Omega-3s have anti-inflammatory effects and have been shown to reduce blood pressure.
Omega-3s are also necessary to support the structure and function of our brain cells and are “essential nutrients.” This means that we must get them from our diet. This is especially true as we age, because reductions in omega-3 intake have been linked at faster rates of cognitive decline.
Eat plant foods with every meal
Plant foods, such as green leafy vegetables, extra virgin olive oil, blueberries, nuts, and legumes, contain a variety of vitamins and minerals, including polyphenols, flavonoids, carotenoids, vitamin C, and vitamin E. These micronutrients they have both antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects that protect and improve the functioning of our blood vessels.
Diets rich in plant foods, such as the Mediterranean diet, have been shown to improve blood pressure, glucose regulation, and body composition and have also been shown linked at lower rates of cognitive decline, better markers of brain healthand a lower risk of dementia
Eat less processed foods
On the other hand, saturated fats, refined carbohydrates, and red and processed meats are is believed to trigger inflammatory pathways. Highly processed foods have been linked to hypertension, Type 2 diabetes, Y obesity.
Eating more of these foods means that we are likely to miss out on the benefits of other foods as well. Whole grains (such as whole oats, rye, buckwheat, and barley) provide fiber, B vitamins, vitamin E, magnesium, and phytonutrients that have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Refined grains (such as white bread, rice, and pasta) are highly processed, meaning many of these beneficial nutrients are removed.
Get physical and make it fun
Physical activity can reduce inflammation and blood pressure while improving the functioning of blood vessels. This helps the body deliver more oxygen to the brain, improve memory and other cognitive functions affected by dementia.
The guidelines suggest that adults should engage in physical activity most days, cut out long periods of inactivity (such as watching TV), and incorporate some resistance exercise. The key to building long-term exercise habits is to choose physical activities that to enjoy and making small gradual increases Being Active Any movement that gets your heart rate up can be classified as physical activity, including gardening, walking, and even housework.
Give up smoking
smokers are 60 percent more likely to develop dementia than non-smokers. This is because smoking increases inflammation and oxidative stress that damage the structure and function of our blood vessels.
Give up smoking can begin to reverse these effects. In fact, former smokers have a significant lower risk of cognitive decline and dementia compared to current smokers, similar to that of people who have never smoked.
It’s too late?
It’s never too early or too late to start making these changes.
Obesity and high blood pressure in midlife are key predictors of dementia risk, while diabetes, physical inactivity and smoking are stronger predictors later in life. Regular physical activity at a younger age can lower blood pressure and lower the risk of diabetes. Like quitting smoking, changes at any stage of life can reduce inflammation and modify dementia risk.
Slowly
It can be overwhelming to change your entire diet, start a new exercise program, and quit smoking all at once. But even small changes can lead to significant improvements in health. Start by making manageable changes, like using extra virgin olive oil instead of margarine or other cooking oils; swap a serving of processed foods, such as chips, white bread, or commercial crackers, for a handful of nuts; change a serving of meat each week for a serving of oily fish; trade five minutes of sedentary time for five minutes of walking and slowly increase that time each day.
is a Research Associate at the University of South Australia, is Senior Lecturer in Exercise Physiology at the University of South Australia and He is a PhD candidate at the University of South Australia. This article was first published on The conversation.
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