Take care of your mind, and you take care of your brain — and it’s never too late to get started
When we think of dementia, we are often afraid of losing control. But the encouraging news is that changing our health habits can prevent or delay up to 40 percent of cases of dementia.
Dementia shares important risk factors with cardiovascular disease, such as high blood pressure, high blood sugar, overweight, and smoking. Inflammation and oxidative stress (when protective antioxidants lose their fight by damaging free radicals) follow. This damages blood vessels and reduces the flow of blood and oxygen to the brain.
Without enough oxygen, brain cells cannot function effectively and eventually die. When blood flow is reduced, the brain becomes vulnerable to the stains and tangles seen in the form of dementia.
However, changing habits can improve heart health and reduce the risk of dementia. Here are five lifestyle changes you can make today to protect tomorrow’s cognitive function.
Eat 2-3 servings of oily fish every week
Oily fish such as salmon, sardines and mackerel are rich in omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. Omega 3 has anti-inflammatory properties and has been shown to significantly lower blood pressure.
Omega 3 is also needed and is an “essential nutrient” to support the structure and function of brain cells. This means we need to get them from the diet. This is especially true as we grow older, as a decrease in omega 3 intake is associated with a faster rate of cognitive decline.
Eat vegetable foods every meal
Vegetable foods such as lush greens, extra virgin olive oil, blueberries, nuts and legumes contain a variety of vitamins and minerals such as polyphenols, flavonoids, carotenoids, vitamin C and vitamin E. These micronutrients contain both antioxidants and antioxidants. -An inflammatory effect that protects and improves our vascular function.
Diets high in vegetable foods, such as the Mediterranean diet, have been shown to improve blood pressure, glucose regulation, and body composition, reducing cognitive decline, improving brain health markers, and risking dementia. It is also related to the decline in blood pressure. ..
Eat less processed foods
On the other hand, saturated fats, refined carbohydrates, lean and processed meats are thought to cause the inflammatory pathway. Highly processed foods are associated with high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and obesity.
Eating more of these foods means that you are likely to miss the benefits of other foods as well. Whole grains (whole oat, rye, buckwheat, barley, etc.) provide antioxidant and antioxidant fiber, B vitamins, vitamin E, magnesium, and phytonutrients. Refined grains (white bread, rice, pasta, etc.) are highly processed to remove many of these beneficial nutrients.
Move your body and have fun
Physical activity can reduce inflammation and blood pressure while improving the function of blood vessels. It helps the body deliver more oxygen to the brain and improves memory and other cognitive functions affected by dementia.
The guidelines suggest that adults should engage in physical activity most days, eliminate prolonged inactivity (such as watching TV), and incorporate some resistance exercises. The key to developing long-term exercise habits is to choose the physical activity you enjoy and gradually increase it. Movements that raise your heart rate can be categorized as physical activities such as gardening, walking, and even household chores.
Quit smoking
Smokers are 60% more likely to develop dementia than nonsmokers. This is because smoking increases inflammation and oxidative stress, impairing the structure and function of blood vessels.
Smoking cessation can begin to reverse these effects. In fact, ex-smokers, like those who have never smoked, have a significantly lower risk of cognitive decline and dementia than current smokers.
Is it too late?
It’s never too early or too late to initiate these changes.
Middle-aged obesity and hypertension are important predictors of dementia risk, while diabetes, lack of exercise, and smoking are stronger predictors of later years. Regular physical activity early in life can lower blood pressure and reduce your risk of diabetes. Like quitting smoking, changes at any stage of life can reduce inflammation and change the risk of dementia.
little by little
Changing your overall diet, starting a new exercise program, and quitting smoking all at once can be a daunting task. But even small changes can lead to significant improvements in health. Start with a manageable change, such as using extra virgin olive oil instead of margarine or other cooking oil. Replace one serving of processed foods such as chips, white bread and commercial biscuits with a handful of nuts. Replace 1 serving of meat with 1 serving of oily fish each week. Replace the 5-minute sitting time with a 5-minute walk and slowly increase that time each day.
Researcher at the University of South Australia He is a Senior Lecturer of Exercise Physiology at the University of South Australia. I am a PhD candidate at the University of South Australia. This article was first published on The Conversation.
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