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Reduce Dementia Risk- Non-Toxic
“There is growing evidence of a link between regular participation in mental, cognitive, or intellectual activities and a reduced risk of cognitive decline…”
“a polyphenol pattern provided by a diet containing specific plant products (nuts, citrus, berries, leafy vegetables, soy, cereals, olive oil) accompanied by red wine and tea was associated with lower dementia risk.”
Full disclosure. I have lived with a form of brain damage since 1995. Chemotherapy’s effect on brain cells is well-established by research.
Once I began thinking about it, this makes perfect sense. Chemotherapy damages the cancer patient’s liver, kidneys, bones, muscles, etc. etc. Chemotherapy must also cause serious damage to one of the human body’s most sensitive organs- the brain.
As a cancer survivor, I chose to undergo aggressive, high-dose chemotherapy in the form or an autologous stem cell transplant. Unbeknownst to me at the time, my brain would suffer the long-term consequences of chemobrain.
The challenge then, has been to heal my brain. At the same time, I just turned 62 years of age. Brain health is on my mind…While healing my brain has been an issue since my chemotherapy in 1995, like all 60 year olds, I am searching for a lifestyle shown to prevent Alzheimer’s aka dementia.
My thinking is pretty straightforward. No therapy has ever been shown to halt or cure dementia once it begins. Undergoing evidence-based, non-toxic brain health therapies will probably only slow the onset of dementia once the patient has been diagnosed.
Therefore, my thinking is, like cancer, take steps now to reduce my risk of dementia later. Like the saying goes..”An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”
In general:
- Nutrition
- Supplementation
- Lifestyle therapies
all have been shown to enhance brain health and thereby reduce the risk of an Alzheimer’s diagnosis- please read the studies excerpted and linked below.
As of the righting of the post (3/2022) my brain health, according to BrainHQ, has steadily improved since I began playing online brain games several years ago. Check in with me, if you’d like, and I will update you on how my brain health is doing.
- Click now to learn more about brain health
- To Learn More About long-term cognitive decline- click now
Scroll down the page, post a question or a comment. I will reply to you ASAP.
Thank you,
David Emerson
- Cancer Survivor
- Cancer Coach
- Director PeopleBeatingCancer
Recommended Reading-
PeopleBeatingCancer Side Effects Program
Pattern of polyphenol intake and the long-term risk of dementia in older persons
“Objective To investigate the optimal combination of dietary polyphenols associated with the long-term risk of dementia in a large prospective French cohort of older persons, the Three-City (3C) Study…
Results The pattern combined several flavonoids (dihydroflavonols, anthocyanins, isoflavonoids, flavanones), stilbenes (including resveratrol), lignans, and other subclasses (hydroxybenzaldehydes, naphthoquinones, furanocoumarins). Compared with participants in the lower quintile of pattern score, those in the higher quintile had a 50% lower risk of dementia (95% confidence interval 20%–68%, p for trend <0.01) in multivariate models.
Conclusions In this French cohort, a polyphenol pattern provided by a diet containing specific plant products (nuts, citrus, berries, leafy vegetables, soy, cereals, olive oil) accompanied by red wine and tea was associated with lower dementia risk…
Mediterranean Diet, Brain and Muscle: Olive Polyphenols and Resveratrol Protection in Neurodegenerative and Neuromuscular Disorders
“The Mediterranean diet is worldwide recognized as a good prototype of nutrition due to the conspicuous intake of olive oil, nuts, red wine, legumes, fruit, and vegetables, all fundamental elements rich in antioxidant substances and polyphenols.
Polyphenols are a wide range of phytochemicals and/or synthetic chemical compounds with proven beneficial properties for human health.
In the present review, we critically summarize the wellcharacterized antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of polyphenols contained in the olives and extra virgin olive oil and of resveratrol, a non-flavonoid phenolic compound.
We discuss the potential use of these polyphenols as pharmaceutical formulations for the treatment of human diseases. We also show the emerging importance of their consumption in the prevention and management of crucial neurodegenerative conditions (alcohol-related brain disorders and aging) and in neuromuscular disorders (Spinal Muscular Atrophy and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy), where oxidative stress plays a predominant role.
The traditional Mediterranean diet is characterized by a high phenolic-rich foods intake, including
- extra-virgin olive oil,
- nuts,
- red wine,
- vegetables,
- fruits,
- legumes,
- and whole-grain cereals.
- Curcumin-
- Resveratrol-
- Olive Oil-
- Omega 3-
- Green Tea Extract-
- Cocoa Powder-
Memory Games That Exercise the Mind for People With Alzheimer’s
“Alzheimer’s disease has no cure, and researchers continue to work toward treatments that can effectively stop the progression of the disease. Scientists and drug companies are investigating and developing new therapies to slow the disease, treat symptoms, and ultimately find a cure.
At the same time, researchers are looking at lifestyle factors to see if certain habits or activities can help keep the brain healthy and slow the progression of various forms of dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease.
There is growing evidence of a link between regular participation in mental, cognitive, or intellectual activities and a reduced risk of cognitive decline…
What Can Game Playing Do for the Brain?
One activity that might help keep the brain healthy is playing brain or memory games — or even playing games in general. But the jury is still out on whether playing “Alzheimer’s games” can really have any impact on slowing cognitive decline. Most experts seem to agree that the games themselves can’t really do much to change the biology of the disease or prevent the damaging effects Alzheimer’s has on the brain.
That said, there are potential cognitive benefits for those who play games, but the actual game you choose may be of little importance in the bigger picture.
“Frank evidence for true reduction in cognitive decline is very minimal,” says Mary Sano, PhD, the director of the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center and a professor of psychiatry at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City.
Yet Dr. Sano believes you can potentially benefit in some ways from playing certain games.