Worried About Alzheimer’s? 6 Simple Steps To Help Prevent It

1 min

This tip is courtesy of Dr. Weil on Healthy Aging: Your Online Guide to the Anti-Inflammatory Diet. For more nutrition and health guidance, start your 14-day free trial now!

While the exact cause of Alzheimer’s disease remains unclear, the greatest known risk factor is increasing age: the chance of developing Alzheimer’s seems to double every five years after age 65. After age 85, the risk of developing Alzheimer’s is about 50 percent. While you can’t do anything about getting older, there are some measures that can help not only lower your chances, but also improve your overall health:

1. Challenge yourself. A growing body of medical evidence suggests that lifelong stimulation is the key to building and maintaining brain cells, staving off memory loss and maybe even preventing Alzheimer’s disease. Try doing interesting work (paid or volunteer), pursuing hobbies, engaging in an active social life, taking music or language lessons, or learning a new computer program.
2. Take a daily low-dose aspirin. Some studies link the use of aspirin and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) with a reduced risk of Alzheimer’s.
3. Use healing spices in your cooking. Turmeric, ginger and red pepper can add zing to meals and are natural anti-inflammatories.
4. Eat a diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids, including wild Alaskan salmon, sardines, freshly ground flaxseed and walnuts.
5. Incorporate plenty of fresh, organic fruits and vegetables in your meals.
6. Reduce your intake of polyunsaturated vegetable oils (such as soybean, sunflower, corn and safflower oils), replacing them instead with extra virgin olive oil. Check ingredient labels of packaged foods. While you may not have bottles of these vegetable oils in the pantry, many processed foods use these inexpensive and potentially inflammatory ingredients.

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