8 Tips from a Healthy Aging Expert
Like many Alzheimer’s advocates, I support increased funding for Alzheimer’s research. The goal is to discover a cure. However, the current reality is that there is no sure way to prevent Alzheimer’s and no cure in sight.
Does that mean that there is no information available to help us? Absolutely not.
The 2014 International Alzheimer’s Conference presented copious information about ongoing studies and other scientific data. These international researchers came away from the conference agreeing about many things. To me, the news that affects most of us is that lifestyle changes that we can make right now can have a major impact on how we age and how soon some of us will exhibit symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease.
The scientists presented studies showing that a healthy diet, moderate exercise and an active mind can delay symptoms of Alzheimer’s for up to ten years in one out of three people who develop the disease.
With this information in mind, I asked Dr. Bruce Daggy, Ph.D., Adjunct Professor in the Nutrition, Food, and Exercise Sciences Department of Florida State University some questions about what we can do to help stave off cognitive decline and generally keep our bodies healthy as we age:
Q: Do you recommend any special diet to help preserve the brain?
A: To start with, that which is good for your body is also good for your brain, because your brain depends on a healthy body to function at its best. So a diet that helps you maintain a healthy body weight and fully supplies your nutritional needs is the place to start. Supplements can help fill in the nutritional gaps between what our food intake provides and optimal levels of vitamins and minerals. There are nutrients that have been clinically tested in supplement form and found to support short-term or long-term cognitive function. One example is Omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil (especially the fatty acid DHA). There have also been other ingredients recently studied for cognitive benefits. These include…
Continue reading on Agingcare for more tips from Dr. Daggy about healthy aging:
Minding Our Elders: Caregivers Share Their Personal Stories. “For anyone having to walk the last segments of life with a loved one, read this.” …Delores
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