Save your Brain!

Save your Brain!

Alzheimer’s is a disease which affects brain cells, nerves and neurotransmitters causing a decline in reasoning and memory. According to the Alzheimer’s Society, one person in three who is over the age of 65 is likely to develop Alzheimer’s and currently there are 750,000 people in the UK with dementia. It’s thought that this figure could double over the next 40 years.

It is tragic for people to live the last precious years of their lives with this brain disorder when clear evidence shows that there are several steps that can be taken to reduce the risk. According to Professor Clive Ballard, director of research at the Alzheimer’s Society, “A lot of people have the view that there’s nothing you can do to prevent dementia and that is not the case. What we have learned is that what is good for the heart is good for the brain. In particular, taking exercise and having a healthy diet will protect both organs”.

Risk factors include inheriting the APOE4 gene along with diabetes, depression, obesity, high blood pressure and cholesterol. These can all be greatly reduced by a healthy diet and lifestyle. Dr Corbett at the Alzheimer’s Society recommends half an hour of any cardiovascular exercise three times a week to reduce obesity, diabetes and depression. There is very clear evidence that exercise can reduce the risk of developing dementia by 45%.

A paper published this month in the European Journal of Internal Medicine suggests that a high-GI diet which is low in essential fatty acids and antioxidants lead to damage to brain neurons and cell apoptosis. Research suggests that the best protection against dementia and Alzheimer’s is the Mediterranean diet high in wholegrain foods, fish (particularly oily fish), olive oil, fruit and vegetables. A recent Finnish study showed that a moderate amount of red wine (one glass per day) drunk in middle age, cut chances of developing dementia by a quarter.