The number of people with dementia will only increase in the next twenty years. The increase is expected to be as much as forty-five percent. Of course, dementia cannot be prevented, but you can contribute to ensuring that it does not happen to you or only happens in old age. A healthy and active lifestyle could delay dementia by about five years. Be prepared to look critically at yourself, many people quickly think that they live a healthy life, while in practice this is not the case. In the Netherlands, approximately 180,000 people suffer from dementia. Of these, approximately two-thirds are women.
What types of dementia do we know?
The most common type of dementia is Alzheimer’s disease. In addition, many people also suffer from vascular dementia. Vascular dementia is associated with cardiovascular disease. The least common form of dementia is related to alcohol abuse and is called Korsakoff’s disease.
Is dementia hereditary?
The hereditary component in dementia is not that great. Only when dementia occurs in the family at a young age (40, 50 years) is there a large hereditary component. Dementia is therefore not hereditary for 75% and can be postponed until old age by adopting the right lifestyle.
What increases the risk of dementia?
People with diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol have a higher risk of developing dementia.Chronic stress also has a major impact on blood flow to the brain and also increases blood pressure. In addition, stress hormones such as Cortisol and Adrenaline also attack your brain. It is therefore not surprising that people who suffer or have suffered from chronic stress are at greater risk of dementia.
How do you reduce the risk of dementia?
- Drink a maximum of one glass of alcohol per day.
- Do not smoke.
- Eating lots of fresh vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds.
- Moderate with salt.
- Eat fish once or twice a week, including oily fish once a week.
- Be moderate with meat, and preferably choose chicken or turkey.
- Maintain a healthy body weight.
- Sleep six to eight hours at night.
- Try to avoid stress as much as possible. If you often suffer from stress, you can consider taking a yoga or mindfulness course. According to Brazilian research, people who take or have taken such courses have a demonstrably lower level of Cortisol (stress hormone) in their blood. Read more about this in the article: Spirituality, new age and meaning.
- Exercise for at least thirty minutes every day. This ensures better blood flow, also in the brain. This does not mean that you have to go to the gym every day, but a brisk walk every day, half an hour of dancing and jumping to music, working in the garden or a physically intensive game on the WII or Xbox is enough.
- Stay mentally active for as long as possible.
Early stage dementia
Many people who experience problems with their memory and are aware that they are starting to forget more and more things worry about the future. They think they cannot prevent further memory decline. That is not entirely true.What else can you do:
- Get exercise.
- Use Sage. This has a positive effect on the memory, both of healthy people and of people with early Alzheimer’s. Be careful with too much Sage if you suffer from high blood pressure.
- Find the sun. Sunlight improves memory and orientation.
- How to keep an agenda and plan your activities properly. This way you have a good overview and you have to remember less.
- Meditation, yoga or mindfulness can also help with early memory problems. Clearing your head regularly improves your memory. Moreover, mindfulness teaches you to focus on the moment and the more you concentrate on what you are doing, the better you will remember it.
- Keep your brain active. Do something new regularly, stay socially active and make sure you have a fixed daily schedule.
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- Tips and advice to improve your memory