Risk factors for dementia are different in everyone, but it is universally agreed that brain stimulation is a human’s most valuable asset to stave off the conditions that inhibit the central organ of the nervous system.
Brain stimulation is particularly important once you reach middle age as this is when changes start to occur in the brain.
Here’s five things you should do to try and keep dementia away:
- learn new skills, relearn skills long forgotten such as mathematics, and take up crosswords or puzzle games, such as Wordle, Quordle, Octordle, Dordle or Sedecordle. Go for walks, with a book on plants, and see how many you can recognise;
- eat plenty of vegetables and fish, which are rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon, tuna and mackerel. In addition, avoid saturated fats, trans fats and hydrogenated oils;
- stay physically active, which helps maintain regular blood flow to the brain and reduces the risk of high blood pressure, which is associated with the development of dementia;
- do not smoke cigarettes or cigars and limit any alcohol consumption; and
- control your cholesterol and blood pressure.
Joyce Siette, a research theme fellow at Western Sydney University, and Laura Dodds, a PhD candidate, at Western Sydney University, published research in the Journal of Ageing and Longevity, concluding that older adults have high dementia literacy.
“Most older people are aware that dementia is a modifiable condition and that they have the power to change their dementia risk.
“We also found the key barrier to making brain healthy lifestyle choices was a lack of knowledge, which suggests a public awareness campaign is urgently needed,” they wrote in The Conversation.
Humans cannot change getting older, genetics or family history, but changing certain health and lifestyle habits may make a big difference to reducing or delaying your risk of developing dementia.
It’s never too early or too late to start.
