Experts suggest that simple lifestyle changes such as flossing your teeth or singing in the shower may have a lasting impact on the brain and help prevent dementia and age-related memory loss. While pharmaceutical companies are developing new drugs to treat Alzheimer’s disease, such as Eli Lilly’s drug, donanemab, that has reportedly reduced progression by up to 35%, research is also focusing on ways to help prevent the brain from deteriorating in the first place. According to the charity Alzheimer’s Society, about 40% of dementia cases may be preventable.
In the first part of an exclusive series, leading experts in the field recommend 50 simple things people can do to help reduce their risk of dementia. Some of these lifestyle changes include:
1. Change your wine glasses: Using smaller wine glasses helps to cut down on alcohol consumption, which is linked to cognitive decline.
2. Expand your brain power: Continuously learning new things is a great way to expand your brain power and make it more resistant to memory decline.
3. Brush and floss without fail: Brushing and cleaning between teeth every day can reduce the risk of dementia in later life.
4. Curl up with a comedy: Laughter triggers the release of ‘feelgood’ brain chemicals including dopamine and serotonin, counteracting low mood and even depression, which are both risk factors for dementia.
5. Sort out bad sleep habits: Quality sleep helps the body to clear out toxins linked to Alzheimer’s.
6. Consider statins for cholesterol: Higher cholesterol levels, particularly in middle age, are associated with a higher risk of dementia.
7. Play a musical instrument: Learning a new skill rewires the brain and improves cell connections, making it more resilient.
8. Stub it out: Quitting smoking can reduce the risk of dementia to the same level as someone who has never smoked.
9. Sing to lift your spirits: Singing increases the flow of oxygenated blood to the brain, lifts spirits, and triggers the release of ‘feelgood’ brain chemicals.
10. Always wear a cycle helmet: Head injury increases the risk of Alzheimer’s, and wearing a helmet while cycling can reduce this risk.
11. Curb that sweet tooth: Consuming high levels of sugar has negative effects on cognitive function and increases the risk of dementia.
These simple lifestyle changes can help reduce the risk of dementia and age-related memory loss, and they can be incorporated easily into daily routines. Incorporating these changes from an early age can help maintain brain health in later life.
