1 in 10 people age 65 and older will be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease and every 1 out of 3 will be diagnosed at age 85 and older.
It can be a debilitating diagnosis for not only the patient, but all the loved ones and caretakers involved. Once diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease, treatment options are limited. However, there is hope. The best option available is prevention. Sustaining brain health throughout your life can very literally save your life. Here are 5 things you can do to sustain your brain’s integrity throughout
Exercise
Exercise is one of the most important factors for preserving brain health throughout life. In fact, exercise may not be as paramount as once thought in weight loss. But it is paramount preventing disease. Movement makes direct connections throughout the neurons of the brain. As a species, without movement there is no cognition. Exercise releases BDNF, brain derived neurotrophic factor, which is a chemical substance that helps neurons to grow. Think of it as miracle grow for your brain.
Sleep
Everyone is well aware that you don’t feel your best when you skimp on sleep. But, without sleep, there is no way to get rid of build-up of byproducts in the brain. Decreased sleep can affect cognition almost immediately, and unfortunately chronically decreased sleep can increase your risk for many degenerative disease, including Alzheimer’s. You don’t have to be someone who feels good going to bed by 10PM and getting up at 6AM. By all means, go to bed late, wake up late. Or live like me in my perfect world where I would go to bed by 8 PM and up at 4AM. But, what you do need to do is find a sleep schedule that works for your life and your obligations and make it a priority.
Gut Brain Connection
We have arrived at the Gut-Brain connection. This is a big one, and it was only a matter of time until we got here. Your gut literally makes 90% of the neurotransmitters in your brain. There is a physical connection from the gut to the brain via the Vagus Nerve. The Vagus nerve is so powerful that stimulation can almost immediately improve mood, cognition and sleep. Without a healthy connection between the gut and the brain, the brain doesn’t get the right signals.
Sugar and Insulin Sensitivity
There is no doubt that increased sugar consumption and decreased insulin sensitivity leads to cognitive decline and therefore disorders like Alzheimer’s Disease. In fact, Alzheimer’s Disease has been coined as Type III Diabetes. This phenomenon refers to sugar’s effect in the body, so it doesn’t mean that this is limited to sugar, cookies, candies, cake, etc. But, to really stave off Alzheimers you have to limit high sugar foods including pastas, grains, white potatoes, bagels, and anything else that turns into sugar in the blood stream.
Lifelong Learning
Keeping your mind sharp with novel tasks is one of the best ways to challenge yourself and decrease your risk for cognitive decline. Throughout early life we are always learning new tasks through school or new jobs. However, as middle and later age set in, we forget that humans love to learn. So take a class, learn a new skill, and make sure you challenge yourself along the way!
An Alzheimer’s diagnosis can be a scary thing to face. Be sure to stay away of any loved one in your life who you may thing is a little more forgetful than usual. Prevention is key. But, if you can’t prevent, you can implement these tools and more to help as much as you can.
Please call us at (203) 998-8225 to find out if we can help you.
RESOURCES.
. Ekblad, Laura L et al. “Midlife insulin resistance, APOE genotype, and late-life brain amyloid accumulation.” Neurology vol. 90,13 (2018): e1150-e1157. doi:10.1212/WNL.0000000000005214
Hillman, Charles H. “Be Smart, Exercise Your Heart - Exercise Effects on Brain and Cognition.”Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 9, Jan 1 2008, pp 58-65.
https://www.drkarafitzgerald.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Effects-of-a-medium-chain-triglyceride-based-ketogenic-formula-on-cognitive-function-in-patients-with-mild-to-moderate-Alzheimer%E2%80%99s-disease.pdf