There are many articles on the internet that claim certain drugs, pollutions, minerals, oils, can cause or prevent dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. The truth is, after taking away genetic risk factors, there are only a handful of risk factors that can actually be proven to cause dementia. Those risk factors are: lifestyle and mental health. The good news is, these risk factors are factors that can be controlled from a prevention perspective.

Lifestyle

There is not a single person who can live a completely healthy lifestyle 100% of the time. However, there are several things that can be done to live a relatively healthy lifestyle and prevent the onset of dementia.

Drugs and alcohol

Drugs are known to cause cognitive impairments. Anyone who has experienced drugs first hand has experienced the effects of these cognitive impairments. Drugs kill brain cells, dead brains cells are linked to dementia. Alcohol has been shown to cause Korsakoff’s syndrome, another form of dementia. No one is saying stop drinking alcohol. However, stick to the daily recommend intake suggestions of two drinks per day for a man and one for a woman, and there will be no concerns. Stop doing illegal drugs and limit your alcohol intake to modify these risk factors of dementia.

Smoking

We all know smoking is bad for just about every organ in the body. That includes the brain. Smoking is the biggest risk factor of premature death known. Smoking doubles your risk of dementia, especially Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia, by damaging brain cells and blood vessels. If you are a smoker with a strong genetic disposition for dementia, you are almost guaranteeing yourself the disease. Stop smoking to not only reduce this risk factor of dementia, but also risk factors for many other terminal diseases.

Diet

Overweight people are four times more likely to develop dementia than those who aren’t overweight. A high carbohydrate diet also increases your risk of dementia because there is more risk of damaging blood vessels and reducing blood supply to the brain. Avoid, or at least greatly limit your intake of, red meats, saturated fats, trans-fats, salt, added sugars, fried foods and processed foods.  A low carb, high fiber diet is the best choice for reducing this risk factor. Some known supplements for increased brain health include: vitamin D3, fish oils (Omega3), and coenzyme Q10.

Exercise

Exercising regularly can defend against heart disease, cancer and also dementia. This does not mean go run the New York City Marathon. Build exercise into your daily routine. Park farther away from the building, take the stairs, walk the dog every day for 20-30 minutes. If you like a harder workout, go swimming, hiking, cycling, or take an aerobics class. As little as 30 minutes of exercise a few times a week can be enough to modify this risk factor!

Mental Health

Many have heard the term “mental exercises.” Doing mental exercises keeps your brain sharp. There is much research available supporting mental exercise, such as learning new skills, trying new hobbies, doing crosswords, word searches, Sudoku, and other puzzles. These activities keep your brain cells and connections working hard, preventing them from dying from lack of use.

The BOBBY™ programs have been developed to include several modifying lifestyle activities into several easy to use, fun, interactive, programs for people off all ages and abilities to take part in. It is never too early to start reducing your risk factors of dementia. Contact us today to learn more about how our programs can help!