Easy Ways to Reduce Your Risk of Cognitive Decline
As you age, you may worry about cognitive decline. According to the World Health Organization, 50 million people live with dementia, and 10 million new cases every year. There are lifestyle interventions that can reduce the risk of cognitive decline and conditions like dementia. Changes in lifestyle and certain relatively easy things can also help reverse symptoms of decline even once they occur.
Get Exercise
One of the most powerful things you can do for the health of your brain and your overall mental and physical well-being is exercise. When you exercise, you lower your risk of high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, colon cancer, and breast cancer.
Physical activity can help combat anxiety, depression, and insomnia.
Getting exercise can also help prevent dementia and cognitive decline. There are some studies showing exercising regularly helps people who already have memory problems as well.
In people with specific gene variants that make them more susceptible to Alzheimer’s, exercise may have even more benefits.
Physical activity can include traditional exercises like cycling and walking, but things you can do in your daily life, like household chores, can also count.
Keep Your Brain Active
There are a lot of ways you can keep your brain active. Consider learning new things, like a new language or how to play an instrument. Playing games like Sudoku can help, as can doing puzzles.
Anything mentally stimulating like reading, card games, group discussions, or simply playing music can provide you with mental stimulation.
Reduce Alcohol Intake
Low-to-moderate alcohol intake may be beneficial for a healthy brain according to some studies, while others indicate even light drinking is harmful. Overall, we consistently know that excessive drinking is a significant risk factor for cognitive decline and dementia.
Along with quitting alcohol or getting help for an alcohol use disorder if needed, you should stop smoking as soon as possible.
Talk to Your Doctor About Supplements
Some certain herbal supplements the best lion’s mane mushroom capsules and vitamins may play a role in helping your brain stay sharp and strong as you age, but you should talk to your doctor before taking anything. Antioxidants like vitamin E may help reduce chronic inflammation that’s linked with memory loss and neurodegenerative disorders.
Cognitive decline is a proposed side effect of the aging process that occurs in our brain. It’s been proven that a deficiency of NGF can impair our memory, learning and mood. Nerve repair and regeneration is a process of damaged nerves being healed and replaced by healthy ones, which allows us to stay in sound mental health as we get older. These are just some of the reasons lion’s mane is so important for cognitive function and why we highly recommend it as part of an anti-aging protocol.
Some herbs like Gingko Biloba may be helpful, but research is mixed. B vitamins such as B6, B9, and B12 are essential for your brain health. Some research shows people at high risk of Alzheimer’s could benefit from B vitamins in particular.
L-theanine is a natural amino acid that appears to improve mental performance, especially when you pair it with caffeine. Omega-3s are healthy fatty acids you can get from your diet particularly if it’s rich in foods like salmon. You can also supplement with omega-3s. Research shows that if you have the APOE4 mutation linked to Alzheimer’s, taking omega-3 supplements early on could be beneficial.
You might also talk to your doctor about curcumin, which comes from turmeric. Curcumin is a potent antioxidant, and researchers at UCLA found people taking it did better on memory tests. Participants also had less abnormal protein build-up in their brains.
The healthier the nutrients you can get from your diet without supplements, the better.
The Mediterranean diet appears to be one of the best for brain health and cognitive function. The Mediterranean diet focuses on fish, healthy fats, whole grains, and fruit and vegetables.
Social Activity
It can be harder to stay socially engaged and active as you age, but it’s important for your emotional and cognitive health. Social isolation is a dementia risk factor. Isolation is also a risk factor for depression, coronary heart disease, and hypertension.
When you’re socially supported and connected, it helps maintain good physical and mental health throughout every phase of your life.
Managing Your Weight
If you’re obese in mid-life, you have a higher risk of dementia than people with healthy body weight. Being overweight or obese is also associated with some of the most common chronic conditions, including cardiovascular disease, cancer, and type 2 diabetes.
Systematic reviews find that lifestyle interventions for weight loss can improve cognitive function, including memory, language and attention.
Finally, your sleep habits can increase or decrease your risk of cognitive decline. Your body needs adequate sleep to function correctly, as does your brain. If you sleep less than seven to eight hours a night, you might have lower mental function levels because sleep is when memories and learning are consolidated.
