There are chronic diseases we associate with older age persons—heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes, COPD, and dementia. These are the leading causes of death in our country and each has lifestyle factors that can place an individual at greater risk for that disease. The worst and most prevalent dementia is Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). It is now the 6th most prevalent cause of death in the USA. Like each of the other diseases listed, there are factors a person can control that can decrease the probability of that disease afflicting that person. Some of these personal actions are very easy, others have proved to be near impossible for many people. I say this because most of the preventive actions for AD also are preventive for heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes and other dementias, yet the percentage of people who engage in most of these behaviors is very low. Preventing AD is one more reason to shape up and do yourself a favor.
The known risk factors for AD include: 1. overweight/obesity, 2. low activity level/no exercise, 3. high animal protein/fat diet, 4. smoking tobacco, 5. high carbohydrate diet, 6. high blood levels of homocysteine, 7. high blood pressure, 8. type 2 diabetes, 9. metabolic syndrome, 10. depression, 11. high exposure to aluminum, 12. high exposure to fluoride, 13. use of anti-anxiety/depression drugs/sleeping pills, 14. heavy use of alcohol, 15. low mental activity levels/low education level.
All diseases have some portion of their causality in the genetic inheritance of the individual. AD does also, a class of genes known as APOE (apolipoprotein genes). There are at least 4 specific types. Either you have such a genetic problem or not, but, even if you do, you can minimize your probability of AD by good adherence to prevention measures: avoid the above mentioned risk factors. Each can be eliminated or minimized as a threat.
The lifestyle changes necessary to eliminate or minimize each risk factor are by number: 1. proper diet/portion control, 2. exercise more/be more active, 3. more plant based diet + fish, 4. don’t smoke, 5. minimize sugars and simple carbs—bread, pasta, desserts, potatoes, 6. homocysteine is minimized by vitamins B6, B12 and folate, 7. reduce high BP by diet, exercise, supplements, and medicine, 8. diet, exercise, supplements, medicine, 9. lose weight, lower BP, cholesterol, 10. diet, exercise, supplements, counseling, 11. no aluminum cookware, canned goods, anti-perspirants, 12. non fluoridated water, toothpaste (ever read the back of your toothpaste tube?) 13. use natural means of improving emotional states and sleep—no electronics close to bedtime, total darkness, earlier exercise/more sunlight, supplements, 14. light to moderate alcohol reduces AD risk from zero alcohol! 15. read, study, do crosswords, take a class, learn a language, play chess, etc.
Here’s a BONUS—most of those risk reduction actions for AD also reduce risk for heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, and other dementias. I do not fool myself into thinking that many people will adhere to a prevention lifestyle if it makes them uncomfortable. Change is hard. Yet, people who have had a heart attack, or stroke, or cancer or some other life threatening event change their habits. Suddenly, life itself becomes more important than that big steak dinner and baked potato, maybe some salmon and broccoli is OK?
Some discussion: there are several supplements which have good research evidence as being preventive/protective of AD (and the other chronic diseases also). Vitamin D3 is number one, a minimum of 5,000 IUs/day to increase blood levels to at least 50 ng/ml (250 nmol/L). Omega 3 fatty acids include krill oil, DHA more so than EPA, totals 2000-4000 mg—DHA by weight is 1/3 of your brain! Vitamin B-complex is important as a group, as they work together, with B6, 50-100 mg, B12, 100-300 mcg, and folate/folic acid, 800 mcg being the most important to reduce homocysteine to good levels; other B’s at 5-10 times the recommended daily values. Vitamin C at 500-2000 mg as well as any other antioxidant such as quercetin, resveratrol, lycopene, apigenin, curcumin/turmeric, and EGCG/green tea, and alpha lipoic acid are protective of brain structures. Magnesium L-threonate is a compound that can deliver magnesium through the blood brain barrier that stops most other magnesium compounds. The latest interest in prevention of AD is improvement in the gastrointestinal tract of the gut microbiota or microbiome, the bacterial colonies that vary widely in benefit/risk.
I buy (and sell) nutritional products from Life Extension Foundation, a company that I judge to be the very best supplement provider. Every product they market is backed by research available to any one interested. They list an additional 19 products for “Brain Health” beyond what I mentioned. Web sites to visit for confirmation of the statements in this article include PubMed.Gov, LEF.org, grassrootshealth.org, and my blog, drchiptravis.com.