Avoid six mistakes to avoid dementia

It’s perfectly normal to have some forgetfulness, but if you want to preserve your memory, you should break some habits now or adopt new ones to prevent senile dementia. Particularly alarming: according to a study published in the specialist journal “The Lancet Public Health” in 2022, the number of people with dementia worldwide could almost triple in the next 30 years. Certain habits create triggers.

According to the Alzheimer Switzerland Institute, there is growing evidence that poor eating habits increase the risk of dementia. In addition to prepared meals, you should avoid, as far as possible, the consumption of saturated fatty acids contained in red meat, meat and cold meats, as well as dairy products rich in fat (cheese, cream and butter), and reduce your diet. Consuming as much sugar, sugary foods and drinks and salt as possible.

A varied diet based on polyunsaturated fatty acids from fish, fruits, vegetables and aromatic herbs as well as vegetable oils such as rapeseed oil and coconut oil is recommended. Olives, nuts and carbohydrates from pasta, bread and rice.

As shown in a clinical study conducted in 2017 by the Department of Health in the United States, a clear link between the practice of physical activity and the prevention of Alzheimer’s disease could not be established.

The bottom line is that the more you move each day, the better your chances of slowing age-related cognitive decline. Indeed, physical activity allows better blood supply to the brain and stimulates the latter to produce new cells and new connections.

Even if you’re not a social butterfly or don’t want to be the center of attention at every opportunity, maintaining your social contacts is essential to your health. Researchers of various studies suggest that interacting with other people stimulates our brain on different levels, which keeps us intellectually fit.

Recent research has concluded that sleep deprivation does not directly cause Alzheimer’s disease. However, it can increase the risk. Indeed, during sleep, our brain removes brain toxins accumulated during wakefulness. Some of them are directly linked to the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.

As the Alzheimer Switzerland Institute writes on its website, we know, thanks to recent scientific discoveries, that our brain changes its structure even in adulthood and is able to form new connections. The simple act of reading a newspaper or playing sports every day trains the brain, and allows us to stay intellectually fit.

A global study of 28,000 participants published in the European Heart Journal provided the strongest evidence to date that lowering blood pressure reduces the risk of later-stage dementia.

Stress, alcohol and unhealthy lifestyle are the main causes of high blood pressure. In this case, it is recommended to consult a doctor.