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1. Follow a Mediterranean diet 

You’ve probably already heard about the Mediterranean diet for its health benefits, maybe for heart health or for preventing diabetes. Well, it also seems to benefit long-term brain health! For example, one study on 116 people showed that those eating a Mediterranean diet had thicker cortical brain regions, which are regions in the brain that shrinks in people with Alzheimer’s disease. (1) The Meditarranean diet consists of plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables and healthy fats from sources like fatty fish and olive oil.  

2. Avoid high blood pressure 

High blood pressure is a major risk factor for dementia and it’s common for people with Alzheimer’s-like changes in the brain to also show vascular damage. For example, data from the Honolulu-Asia Aging Study measured cognition in 3,734 Japanese-American men in Hawaii who’d had their blood pressure measured more than 20 years earlier. (2) Researchers found that for every 10-mmHg increase in systolic blood pressure, there was a 9 percent increase in risk for poor cognitive function. The good news is that there are plenty of lifestyle factors that can help you reduce blood pressure, including cutting down on caffeine, reducing sodium in your diet, maintaining a healthy weight, and reducing stress. 

3. Follow a MIND diet 

Speaking of the Meditarranean diet and blood pressure, there’s actually a diet that’s specifically designed to combine two to help slow neurological decline and prevent neurodegenerative diseases like dementia. It’s called the MIND (Mediterranean–DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay). The diet limits foods like red meat, sweets, cheese, dairy and trans fats, and fast food and encourages: 

• Leafy green vegetables, at least 6 servings/week
• Other vegetables, at least 1 serving/day
• Berries, at least 2 servings/week
• Whole grains, at least 3 servings/day
• Fish, 1 serving/week
• Poultry, 2 servings/week
• Beans, 3 servings/week
• Nuts, 5 servings/week
• Wine, 1 glass/day*
• Olive oil

This diet is extremely effective at preventing dementia. For example, one analysis found that after an average of 4.5 years, people who adhered closely to the diet had a MIND  53% reduced rate of Alzheimer’s disease compared to those who did not follow the diet closely. (3) 

4. Reduce sugar

I write about the dangers of sugar all the time, and brain health is just one of the many parts of the body damaged by too much-added sugar. There’s a known link between insulin resistance and dementia. For example, a Wisconsin Alzheimer's Institute study (4) examined brain scans in 150 late middle-aged adults who were at risk for Alzheimer's disease and showed that people with higher levels of insulin resistance used less blood sugar in areas of the brain most susceptible to Alzheimer's, which means that part of the brain has less energy to process information and create and retain memories.  Cutting out sugar is easier said than done, but luckily I created this guide to cutting out sugar to help you on your journey. 

 5. Move your body 

I saved the best for last! If there’s one thing to do to prevent dementia, it’s moving your body. A review of existing research showed that regular exercise can reduce the risk of developing dementia and Alzheimer’s by 30 to 40 percent. (6) In fact, out of five healthy behaviors (getting regular exercise, not smoking, maintaining moderate alcohol intake, and having healthy body weight and healthy diet) exercise reduces dementia risk the most. 

It can be really overwhelming and even scary to talk about diseases like Alzheimer’s, but in my heart, I know that knowledge is power. Just being aware of the lifestyle links to dementia can inspire us to eat less sugar, get out and walk a little more often, and choose that fatty fish instead of the hamburger and fries. As a functional medicine practitioner who specializes in preventing disease and taking a natural approach to health, it’s my duty to make sure you’re aware of them. 

As one of the first functional medicine telehealth clinics in the world, we provide webcam health consultations for people around the globe. 

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