Preventing Alzheimer s: How To Keep Your Brain Healthy

Alzheimer s is a deadly disease that is claiming an increasing number of people each year. As you know, however, research in this field has still not managed to isolate the reason behind this dreaded and debilitating disease. To help bring the increasing numbers down, however, they ve now expanded their field of research to include prevention methods.

Before we get to the tips that you should follow to keep your brain healthy, let s take a quick look at some of the causes that are attributed to Alzheimer s: diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity, poor quality sleep, severe stress, alcohol consumption, smoking, drug abuse, head injuries, liver disease, lung disease and exposure of the brain to toxic substances.

Taking care of the above mentioned conditions will automatically benefit the brain. If you do suffer from one or more of these conditions then you need to start addressing the issues with a proper medically approved and recommended plan. If you don t already have any of these conditions, then your focus must be on preventing their occurrence.

Here are a few additional tips that will help prevent Alzheimer s disease:

Diet: Eating foods that are healthy for the heart is a good way to benefit the brain as well. Fish rich in Omega 3 fatty acids are known to be good for the heart. They include mackerel, salmon, sardines, herring and albacore tuna. They can also be got from spinach and flax seed oil. However, it must be mentioned that some fish have higher contents of methylmercury which is then transferred to humans and can be dangerous to pregnant or nursing women, kids below the age of six and those with malfunctioning kidneys.

Fish low in methylmercury include farmed catfish, salmon from the Pacific, farmed trout and blue crab from the mid Atlantic. Berries that are blue and purple in color are good for the brain as well as they contain anti oxidants and anthocyanins. Eating curries that generally contain turmeric is also advised as it contains curcumin, a substance that inhibits free radicals which are responsible for degeneration. Drinking a moderate amount of red wine on a daily basis as well as vegetable and fruit juices which are rich in antioxidants are helpful in preventing Alzheimer s.

Physical Exercise: Exercising on a regular basis is definitely beneficial to the brain which benefits from the increased flow of blood that in turn provides brain cells with ample nutrition. Engaging in at least 30 minutes of exercise five times a week is essential and can be in any form of your liking from walking to gardening. Add two to three sessions of resistance training to this regime as it not only makes you fitter and muscular but also encourages cognitive health. Stretching to improve balance also helps as it reduces the risk of injuries. Keeping yourself fit allows you to enjoy a healthy and active life which benefits your brain.

Mental Exercise: Don t ever stop learning. Every time you do something different you generate fresh brain cells regardless of your advancing age.

Take classes to learn a new skill, play games that are mentally stimulating (such as crossword, Sudoku puzzles, chess), read, and find new ways of doing the same chores you perform on a daily basis, spend time enjoying a hobby. All of this keeps your brain active and alert keeping dementia at arms length.

Author Resource:->
http://www.womenscenter.com/ Dr. James S. Pendergraft opened the Orlando Women's Center in March 1996 to provide a full range of health care for women. http://www.womenscenter.com/

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