Keeping Your Mind Sharp

August 04, 2010, By Charles Manley 0 comments

After watching three grandparents succumb to Alzheimer's disease, my family has made a top priority of keeping their minds sharp.

Watching a human mind slowly decay and a loved one turn from hero to ghost is never easy. It is best to say goodbye early. Sometimes years into it, you still get a flash of recognition, a witty joke, a wry smile. Sometimes you even get a story you've never heard before -- a few rays of sunshine in a sea of fog.

While Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia are uncommon in people under 60, the odds of developing late onset Alzheimer's is quite high. The good news is that multiple studies have shown you can significantly reduce your risk of developing dementia. Here are some tips for staying as sharp as a tack and as witty as Oscar Wilde.

Exercise Three Times a Week 

According to the National Institutes of Health, studies have found associations between physical activity and improved cognitive skills and reduced risk of Alzheimer's and other dementia. The risk of developing Alzheimer's was 35 to 40 percent lower in those who exercised for at least 15 minutes, three times or more per week, than in those who didn't exercise at all.

According to Time magazine, a study in Bavaria revealed that after just two years, patients 65 and older were half as likely to develop dementia or Alzheimer's if they exercised three times per week. Time each week that involves increased blood flow to the brain and increased oxygen intake can help cognitive ability.

Eat More Fish and Leafy Vegetables

A study conducted by Rush University Medical Center in Chicago followed the dietary habits of more than 6,000 individuals over 60. They discovered that those who ate fish at least once a week were about 60 percent less likely to develop Alzheimer's disease than those who seldom ate fish. The key ingredient, they believe, is the n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in fish.

They also found that foods high in vitamin E might reduce one's risk of developing the disease. Those foods include fortified cereals, green leafy vegetables, cantaloupe, oil-based salad dressings, seeds and nuts.

Keep Learning

According to a report published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the human brain is a "use it or lose it" organ. The study found that more frequent participation in cognitively stimulating activities was associated with a reduced risk of Alzheimer's disease. They analyzed everyday activities such as reading, engaging in crossword puzzles or card games and going to museums among participants in the Religious Orders Study, an ongoing assessment of aging among nuns, priests and monks.

Drink Tea and Coffee

At the International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease in July 2010, Lenore Arab, a professor at UCLA, revealed that those who drank tea regularly showed up to 37 percent fewer signs of dementia than those who did not. The data for her conclusion came from a study conducted by the National Institutes of Health, which followed 4,800 men and women 65 and older for up to 14 years. According to the Alzheimer's Society, drinking coffee more than five times a week can also reduce cognitive decline by around 20 percent.