Alzheimer’s, eggs for breakfast and a statin a day to avoid dementia. Many scientific studies try to find useful answers to combat Alzheimer’s or at least to reduce its risks to a minimum.
Important are the genetic tests that examine the APOE gene to understand if a negative variant has been inherited which would lead to the risk of developing the disease. If you have two negative variants, as actor Chris Hemsworth recently discovered, your risk is nearly 12 times higher than if you don’t have either variant.
In any case, it is established that a quarter of the population has a defective variant.
Today scientific research has made progress and the discovery of new drugs that seem to be able to counteract amyloid plaques, the accumulation of proteins in the brain linked to the disease, has generated enthusiasm.
The Daily Mail has published a sort of guide to keep the brain in shape and to try to avoid this terrible disease.
Resistance exercises
Resistance exercises are important, such as push-ups and squats, because they bring particular benefits to the brain and are also excellent for preserving the functionality of the spine and muscles.
This theory is supported by Professor Damian Bailey, director of the Neurovascular Research Laboratory at the University of South Wales. The Professor argues that squats and push-ups, much more than walking or jogging, stimulate blood flow to areas of the brain such as the hippocampus, responsible for learning, and aid in the release of a chemical called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF protein) that promotes the growth of new brain cells.
Taking statins
Taking statins shown to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke in people with family histories of heart disease could also help brain function according to a recent study published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology. The researchers point out, however, that there is not enough and solid enough evidence to recommend taking them simply to reduce the risk of dementia.
Hormone replacement therapy
Taking hormone replacement therapy (HRT) by menopausal women has been shown to reduce the risk of dementia, possibly because estrogen and progesterone help brain cells.
Researchers at the University of East Anglia have published research on 1,178 women participating in the European Alzheimer’s Dementia Prevention Initiative and found that those taking HRT had better memory and larger brains than those taking HRT. they didn’t take it. However, it is still in an experimentation phase, for which work is being done to screen a wider range of the population.
Cold shower
The cold shower is a real panacea for many. Regularly immersing yourself in cold water can, in fact, increase the levels of the so-called “cold shock proteins” or molecules that help protect the brain.
History says that the emperor Augustus, suffering from a mysterious liver disease, was healed by the doctor Antonio Musa with a therapy of icy water baths.
Protein breakfast
Starting the day with a protein breakfast can help protect against Alzheimer’s. A lot of research suggests that as you get older, you should get more protein to keep your bones and muscles in good shape.
In 2018, a study was published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease in which Australian researchers argued that people over the age of 60 who ate 54 g of protein a day were 12 times more likely to have high levels of amyloid compared to those who ate about 118 g. Studies are now focused on understanding why eating more protein is more protected.
Keep your weight under control
Controlling weight is also a good practice because eating too much fat leads to high blood pressure and high blood sugar levels resulting in the risk of type 2 diabetes which triples the risk of Alzheimer’s.
Open windows
Often ventilate the rooms in which you live and avoid deodorants; try to reduce exposure to air pollution as much as possible by avoiding busy roads because you are more exposed to traffic fumes and use your bicycle whenever possible; avoid the indoor wood stove because it can raise PM 2.5 nearly three-fold.