There is no cure for Alzheimer's disease and death usually occurs within 10 years of diagnosis, so the best option today is to prevent it early.
The World Alzheimer's Report and related statistics show that there are an estimated 46.8 million people living with dementia worldwide, with nearly 10 million diagnosed patients in China, accounting for a quarter of the world! On average, 1 in 10 older people suffer from varying degrees of dementia!
An average of 1 new person with dementia will be diagnosed every 3.2 seconds! Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia and is characterised by progressive dementia with symptoms including confusion, short-term memory loss, mood swings and difficulty using language. Eventually, severe brain damage causes impairment of physical functions, which in turn leads to death. Death usually occurs within ten years of diagnosis.
Alzheimer's disease usually strikes people over the age of 65. Early-onset Alzheimer's disease can affect people under the age of 65 and, in extremely rare cases, it affects younger people. There is currently no cure for Alzheimer's disease and prevention is the best option at this time. So, how can you prevent Alzheimer's disease?
1, Insist on naps and a good night's sleep
There are three sleep peaks at 9am, 1pm and 5pm, with the peak at 1pm in particular being more pronounced. Daytime naps are appropriate for about a quarter of an hour, preferably not more than half an hour. If you nap for too long, you will instead appear awake but unresponsive.
Proper levels of melatonin throughout your life can help prevent the formation of dementia-triggering age plaques. And melatonin is only secreted at night, so try going to bed at the same time every night. Turn off all light sources in your room when you go to bed. Make sure you get at least 7 hours of sleep each night.
2,Eat at least one fish a week
To reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease, make sure you eat more fish. The omega-3 fatty acids in fish have been shown to slow the progression of the disease, and DHA, docosahexaenoic acid, is one of the three main forms of omega-3 fatty acids. Fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids include salmon, trout and sardines. You can also find them in walnuts, eggs and flaxseeds. It is important to note that it is best not to eat fish that is fried, as the high temperature oil will destroy the Omega-3 fatty acids contained in the fish.
3,Moderate exercise
When the body is lazy, the brain works harder. Aerobic exercise is good for heart health, some movements require coordination of the limbs and can revitalise the brain. 45 minutes or more of walking, three days a week, can prevent dementia in people over the age of 60.
A study published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease found that consuming high levels of vitamin D3 and eating omega-3 fatty acids can help prevent Alzheimer's disease. The easiest way to get more vitamin D is to get out in the sun.
4, Try talking more
When a few people get together to chat, what seems like small talk is actually a physical and mental workout. Talking is a brain exercise, and the process of communicating with people is also a brain exercise for older people to develop their reflexes and language skills. Therefore, it is important for children to spend time with their parents and to take part in family activities and get together with friends.
5,Develop hobbies
Being more active in the brain can help prevent Alzheimer's disease. Studies have shown that taking up hobbies can help improve memory and slow down age-related mental decline. Particular attention should be paid to doing intellectual activities, learning new skills and doing something challenging, for example, learning a new language. In addition to this, reading the newspaper and reciting poetry are all ways to help prevent Alzheimer's disease.
6,Play games to challenge your memory
The old adage that the more you use your brain, the smarter you get, is based on science. The less mental work people do after retirement, the higher the incidence of dementia. Therefore, regular memory-challenging games and activities can slow down brain ageing. These activities often include crossword puzzles, short number games, puzzles, puzzles and role-playing.
7,Do the grocery shopping and cooking, and do the household chores regularly
Many people find doing household chores trivial and troublesome. In fact, if you do your chores well, your brain's planning and co-ordination skills will be better. Putting things back in order can also slow down memory loss and is good for relaxing and exercising your brain. For example, drying quilts and clothes requires stretching the body, and washing dirty and greasy dishes and tidying up a dirty room gives a strong sense of achievement and brings pleasure to the brain.
8,Drink more fresh juices and enjoy green tea and coffee
Consistent consumption of at least three fruit and vegetable juices can reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease by 76%. Scientists have reasoned that this result may come from the vitamins in fruit juices and the polyphenol antioxidants. You can find polyphenols in fruit juices, tea and red wine. Drinking coffee in the morning can help prevent Alzheimer's disease. Drinking 3-5 cups of coffee a day can reduce the risk by 65%. It can also delay the onset of Alzheimer's disease by 2-4 years. People with a sugar high should control their intake of fruit juice.
9, Healthy body mass index
There is a correlation between increased risk of Alzheimer's disease and higher body weight, and it is important for people over 40 to maintain a healthy body mass index (BMI), which is a number derived by dividing body weight in kilograms by height in metres squared, and is now a commonly used international measure of body fatness and health. A normal body mass index is 18.5-23.9.
10, Meditation
Just 12 minutes a day for more than two months can improve blood circulation in older people. This will help to increase blood flow to the brain. Meditation has additional benefits such as lowering stress levels, balancing emotions and moods and improving mental and physical communication.
11, Reduce your intake of sugar, salt and oil
Some scientists refer to Alzheimer's disease as Type III diabetes. Insulin is directly linked to brain function and excessive sugar intake can produce insulin resistance. When insulin resistance occurs in brain cells, age-related plaques may form and increase, which in turn leads to the development of Alzheimer's disease. In clinical studies, it has been found that people who regularly consume large amounts of sugar, salt and oil during their younger and middle years are susceptible to Alzheimer's disease in old age. Therefore, people - especially the elderly - should eat lighter foods in general and minimize foods that contain a lot of sugar, salt and oil.
