Your risk factors for developing dementia, in particular Alzheimer’s, can increase in mid-life through poor diet and a sedentary lifestyle. The good news is most people can cut their risk by two thirds just by making a few relatively simple changes.

Less than one in every hundred Alzheimer’s diagnoses are attributed to genetics, so it isn’t in the genes, nor is it an inevitable consequence of ageing. The Food for the Brain charity focuses on helping people make simple, positive changes that will give your brain and memory an upgrade and dementia-proof your diet and lifestyle in the future.

The six most effective changes you can make:

1. EAT LESS SUGAR AND REFINED CARBS

The first simple step is to eat less sugar, sugary junk food, sweetened drinks and white, refined bread, rice and pasta. A 2022 US study reported that having a blood sugar level in the high end of the normal range, at age 35, increased a person’s risk of developing Alzheimer’s later in life by 15 per cent. So cutting back on sugar is the first of six simple changes that can cut your risk.

2. EAT FISH AND OMEGA-3 FISH OILS

The next simple step to cut your risk is to eat fish and supplement omega-3 fish oils. Fat literally makes up half your brain cell membranes – the bit that does the ‘talking’. DHA (Docosahexaenoic acid) is an important omega-3 fatty acid and it is found in seafood and certain types of algae.

3. SUPPLEMENT B VITAMINS

The first study that showed a reversal in the rate of brain shrinkage in people with pre-dementia gave a supplement of vitamin B6, B12 and folic acid. The study showed that the B vitamins halved the rate of brain shrinkage, cut the shrinkage in the Alzheimer’s areas of the brain by nine times. The best drug to date has cut brain shrinkage by two per cent with virtually no clinical benefit.

B vitamins are needed to help attach omega-3 into your brain. The next big breakthrough came when Professor David Smith’s group at Oxford University showed that the omega-3 fats don’t work nearly so well without B vitamins – and the B vitamins don’t work in people with low intake of omega-3. You need both.

The three critical B vitamins are vitamin B6, B12 and folic acid or folate which is found in green foods. We recommend that older people supplement at least 10mcg of vitamin B12 a day, but the study gave 500mcg. Why? Because many older people absorb B12 less well. It needs stomach acid so those on antacid drugs often end up lacking B12.

4. INCREASE ANTIOXIDANT RICH IN FRUIT AND VEG

Your brain spends a lot of energy thinking. This makes ‘exhaust fumes’, called oxidants, which age the brain. That’s why smoking is a big risk factor. Fruits, vegetables, herbs, spices and cacao are rich in brain-friendly antioxidants and polyphenols which improve circulation in your brain and help keep it young. So, while eating five servings of fruit and veg is good advice, having a handful of berries a day (blueberries being the best), and at least four servings of vegetables is better. Cacao in chocolate is also brain-friendly, but the sugar isn’t. Having a cocoa drink, made with cacao powder (without sugar) is the best of both worlds. Spices such as turmeric, cumin and chilli, cayenne or paprika are also great sources of polyphenols.

5. HAVE AN ACTIVE LIFESTYLE

“For many people, the worst thing they can do for their brain is to retire,” says exercise expert Tommy Wood, Assistant Professor at the University of Washington. “Exercise, especially resistance exercise, is important because it makes the brain do things that keep it healthy, such as growth and repair,” he says. “When they aren’t stimulated, the health of brain tissues deteriorates, with a knock-on effect on memory and thinking.”

And it’s not just physical exercise that does this, we also benefit from the mental exercise involved in activities like solving puzzles or learning a new language. It’s especially good to learn things you’re bad at. Those taking up learning musical instruments did better than professional musicians

6. SLEEP WELL AND STAY CALM

Just as you need a period of rest after exercise for muscles to recover, your brain needs sleep after a period of cognitive activity. The quantity and quality of sleep makes a big difference. Sleeping only five hours, or nine or more hours, doubles dementia risk. The optimal sleep duration is seven hours and the optimal time for going to sleep is 10pm. ‘Owls’, who go to sleep late, have higher risk. Also, the least disrupted sleep, the better. Stress also takes its toll.

Foodforthebrain.org offers a free online Cognitive Function test and a Dementia Risk Index questionnaire that works out what changes you need to make to protect yourself and your brain.

NorthernLife Mar/Apr 23