Want to reduce your risk of Dementia?
Let’s discuss a topic that’s really close to my heart –Dementia.
My mum suffered and passed away from Parkinson’s Disease and Dementia when she was only 62 years old. I remember it was very hard watching her suffer from Dementia.
Dementia impacts the person suffering from it and the family and friends around that person.
I remember seeing friends coming to visit mum before and just not being able to deal with the fact that my mum didn’t recognise them anymore.
I know how painful it can be, watching loved ones suffering from their health, and that is why I’m very passionate about talking about ways to reduce Dementia.
DID YOU KNOW?
In Australia, Dementia is the second leading cause of death. It affects women more than men.
There are different categories or types of Dementia; these are the most common types:
- Lewy body dementia (which is what my mum had)
- Alzheimer’s Dementia
- Vascular Dementia
Statistics show that 472,000 people have Dementia in Australia. It’s estimated that by 2058, 1.1 million Australians will be suffering from a form of Dementia. That’s quite significant!
PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN CURE.
Why wait and see if you or a family member is diagnosed with Dementia, only to then look for medications to cure it. When you address certain risk factors now and help reduce the risk of developing Dementia.
Let’s look at some of the epigenetic factors that can reduce the risk of Dementia!
- Physical exercise
Physical activity has so many benefits.
Studies from America have shown that women in their 50’s that started walking 20 minutes four times a week decreased the risk of all diseases by 50%….. Now that’s huge!
Stay active – It could be walking, going to the gym, yoga class, a Zumba class. It could involve getting out and playing a social sport.
Anything that keeps you physically active will help reduce the risk of many diseases, including Dementia. Remember that you can decrease your risk by half just by getting out and exercising regularly.
Engage in a physical activity that you love to do. Over time, it helps decrease your stress response, improves your muscle mass, helps increase your circulation, and activates your immune system.
- Maintain adequate weight
This relates to the first factor – exercise. If you engage in physical activity regularly, it will help you maintain adequate weight.
Studies show that people who put on weight, particularly in midlife, have an increased risk of Dementia later in life. Therefore, keeping your weight correct at the best level is very important to decrease the risk of Dementia.
- Decrease inflammation
Inflammation increases damage to delicate tissues. Conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, insulin resistance, and high LDL or triglyceride cholesterol levels have all been shown to increase your risk of Dementia because they increase inflammation in the body.
Inflammation increases the risk of brain damage. So, manage these disease conditions and take steps to help to reverse those.
There are specific blood tests that include hsCRP, ESR, and homocysteine to help monitor levels of inflammation and damage.
- Minimise Heavy metal burden
Heavy metals are found in our environment. When they accumulate in our body, they can disrupt the cellular processes. Notably, heavy metals like Lead, Aluminum and Mercury can increase your risk of damage in the nervous system, which could increase your risk of Dementia.
Lead can be found in much of our makeup, cosmetics, some children’s toys. Aluminium can be released from cookware, paint and pipes of old houses. Aluminium can be also be present in aluminium based deodorants, aluminium cookware, and aluminium foil.
When these heavy metals enter your body, they can accumulate in delicate nerve tissues, which become damaged and lead to an increased risk of Dementia.
- Stress
In the case of my mum’s Dementia, stress was one of the most significant factors (in my opinion), that contributed to the onset of her condition.
In the current times, there are many stresses, particularly in the current pandemic. Therefore, it is vital to find methods to transform your stress response.
Stress increases the inflammation in the nervous system, particularly in the brain. And it can also decrease the size of the brain. That is why it’s crucial to manage stress or find ways to either turn it off or reduce the effect of stress.
- Diet
Diet is a foundation of health. Studies have shown that the Mediterranean diet may help prevent Dementia and many other chronic diseases. This can be because of the high olive oil content and the vast volume of plant-based foods in the Mediterranean diet.
Plant-based diets are rich in phytochemicals such as flavonoids. These phytochemicals in plant-based foods and red wine can help reduce inflammation and the risk of Dementia. Red grapes, green tea, turmeric can all help reduce the inflammation in our body. Plant-based foods can help contribute to your overall health in many ways and reduce inflammation. Make sure that your meals are at least 80% plant-based foods.
- Specific nutrients
B group vitamins, B12 and folic acid can help with the genetic expression in the body. The response of the genes is essential for health. B12 and Folic acid are used in metabolic pathways called methylation pathways that help control homocysteine (an inflammatory chemical).
Omega 3 fatty acids like EPA and DHA help reduce the risk of Dementia by acting as an anti-inflammatory agent. In addition, these omega-3 fatty acids are involved in the healthy structure of brain tissue and proper cellular communication. You can find these omega -3’s in fish, hemp seed and flaxseed oils.
Plasmalogens are found in scallops and many other marine foods. Plasmalogens are needed for brain health, and as we age past our 30’s, our production declines. Therefore, using plasmalogens from seafood can help increase our brain health levels.
There you have it…… 7 factors that can help reduce the risk of developing Dementia.
MEMORIES ARE SUPPOSED TO BE CHERISHED.
It is agonising to have Dementia or see someone suffer from Dementia. It is painful to know that one day, it is possible that you or one of your loved ones will forget about your beautiful memories together. But you know what, there is still good news, we can take steps in our life NOW to get into the driver’s seat of our own health bus to make sure that we’re still on the correct path.
If you decide to take action about this now, I am happy to support you on your path. CLICK HERE for a free 15 minute discovery call to see how I can work with you on your path to health.
