How to Reduce the Risk of Dementia

About an average of 50 million individuals worldwide suffer from dementia or the deterioration of thinking skills that renders one’s ability to perform daily activities. And with no adequate or precise treatment on how to address such disease, it’s hard to delay or face the unknown head-on.

U.K. Dementia Research Institute Program professor, and the University of Edinburgh’s Centre for Brain Discovery Sciences’ Lead and Deputy Director, Tara Spires-Jones, have told the Science Media Center that although some are unlucky enough to inherit the genes that increase their odds of developing dementia, many have the opportunity to lessen their chances by living a healthy lifestyle.

Dementia Statistics

According to WHO, 10 million cases of dementia are reported yearly, and this statistic is expected to increase threefold by the year 2050. The organization has also said that not only the dementia is the primary cause of why the older generation is disabled, all of which devastates affected individuals’ lives, their caretakers, and families, this disease also hugely affects the economy, and the estimated expenses of caring for dementia patients are expected to increase by $2 trillion yearly by the year 2030.

Reducing the Risk of Dementia

World Health Organization (WHO) says that delaying or stalling the progression of dementia is possible. University of Nottingham’s director of the Centre for Old Age and Dementia Institute Department of Mental Health professor Tom Denning, and a board-certified family physician and internationally renowned nutrition and natural healing expert in preventing and reversing diseases through nutritional methods, Dr. Joel Fuhrman, M.D., gave out some tips on how to extend lifespan and reduce heart diseases, and dementia risks.

1. Maintain a normal blood pressure, healthy blood glucose and cholesterol level without any medications or supplements such as vitamins B, E, gingko, omega-3, and other antioxidants in hopes of avoiding any cognitive decline unless clinically-recommended.
2. Avoid tobacco and less alcohol consumption.
3. Commit to eating a well-balanced plant-based diet or a Mediterranean one.
4. Consistently do a daily physical activity or exercise before any symptoms of cognitive problems shows.
5. Sustain proper weight management for optimal health to reduce risks of heart problems, diabetes, and other degenerative sicknesses.

With substantial research confirming the plant-based diet and Mediterranean diet from various health doctors to be beneficial for cognitive function, reports have shown that following the said diet decreases one’s risk of mild cognitive deterioration as well as Alzheimer’s Disease, but infrequent compliance will not.

And as Dr. Joel Fuhrman has said in his Longevity Now Conference, eating the right kind of food is a scientifically proven tip to extend one’s lifespan because it is food which controls our life — it slows aging, prevents cancer and other diseases.

The evidence that social support and participation are well-connected to good health and one’s well-being is proven. Dr. Hans A Diehl, Director of Lifestyle Medicine Institute in Loma Linda, conducted the Coronary Health Improvement Project (CHIP), a 30-day community-based program. While residential programs are a costly and artificial living environment that made sustaining learned behaviors more difficult when patients return to their home setting, he developed CHIP as an affordable intervention in a community setting which helped many patients with degenerative diseases.

University College London’s Old Age Psychiatry professor, Robert Howard, has told the Science Media Center that while the evidence mentioned reducing risk of dementia is not strong, it is essential to continue doing things that are beneficial for overall physical and mental health.

Sources:

https://edition.cnn.com/2019/05/14/health/who-guidelines-dementia-intl/index.html
https://www.thelongevitynowconference.com/?fbclid=IwAR0jtzOPzoM5Z4gIoRo9e90DfT-VKuOu35UAV1awrcrIClf5OU2XX1k2DrQ