Dementia - Help reduce your risk

Dementia is a general term for memory loss and loss of other intellectual abilities that is serious enough to interfere with your daily life.  Individuals with dementia may not be able to think well enough to do normal activities such as getting dressed or eating.  They may lose the ability to solve problems or control emotions and their personalities may change.  Dementia is almost always progressive, which means the symptoms will gradually get worse.

The number of people with dementia (of any age) is expected to increase considerably.  Estimates show that the number of New Zealanders who are living with dementia is approximately 41,000; this is expected to increase to 77,000 by 2026.

Dementia, including Alzheimer's disease, is not a normal part of ageing.  You can significantly reduce your risk by making positive lifestyle changes.  For example a study of more than 10,000 people showed that obesity was associated with a 74 percent increased risk of dementia 25-30 years later, while overweight people has a 35 percent greater risk.
 

Lifestyle changes you can adopt that may reduce your chance of developing dementia include:
 

• Exercise regularly - According to one study, the odds of developing Alzheimer's were nearly quadrupled in people who were less active during their leisure time, between the ages of 20 and 60, compared with their peers.
• Keep mentally active - Some clinical studies have suggested that remaining mentally active throughout life, especially in the later years, reduces the risk of dementia.  Mental activity can be doing crossword puzzles daily, reading the newspaper or books, and increasing social activities.
• Eat a nutritious diet with plenty of raw fresh vegetables and pay special attention to avoiding sugar.  Eat foods in their most natural state as much as possible.  Also ensure you get plenty of omega-3 fats.  Fifty percent of your brain is an omega-3 fat called DHA. 
• Enjoy the sunshine - Ensure you are achieving optimal vitamin D levels through safe sun exposure and/or vitamin D supplements.
• Avoid toxins, especially mercury and aluminium.  Aluminum is found in items such as antiperspirants which should also be avoided.
• Keep insulin levels low.  There is no question that insulin resistance is one of the most pervasive influences on brain damage, as it contributes massively to inflammation, which will prematurely degenerate your brain.