What do you do for yourself to prevent dementia?
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Anonymous
I’m glad you are doing this. My mother was advised to do some things to enjoy her money but she rarely did. Now, a large chunk goes to the people who own the assisted living… OP |
Anonymous
That’s true that I did not immediately repeat the behavior. In my case, I was hit while playing tennis but only one time. I do remember that I returned to work and had trouble doing simple math. IIRC, one can possibly heal concussive events (grief can be a concussive event) by taking good care of the brain through a diet rich in omega-3 and other elements. Since omega 3 doesn’t hurt anything, I just make sure to eat those foods or supplement. The omega 3 connection is not completely proven yet looks promising: https://health.mil/Reference-Center/Publications/2025/05/15/Information-Paper-on-Omega-3-Supplements-for-Mild-Traumatic-Brain-Injury#:~:text=KEY%20TAKEAWAY,mild%20TBI%20requires%20further%20study. OP |
Anonymous
I’m sorry. It’s hard to say. We don’t know what he ate, how many times he had a concussion as a child, what his nutrition was like as a child, or what was in his genes. My father exercised and was a voracious reader. It’s hard to know what caused it in this case. I first noticed it in him at 77, and he died at 87. His mother lived to 102 without memory problems, but her mother did have them. My dad retired early and probably had depression, and that could have contributed to his decline. Depression (untreated) is a risk factor. |
Anonymous
Like basically all disease, you either have it in your genes or you engage in behavior that can bring it on. Plenty of incredibly fit people drop dead of a heart attack because they had an underlying genetic problem only discovered in autopsy, and plenty of people drop dead of heart attacks because they smoked like chimneys and were obese. Dementia is no different. Some have it in their genes regardless of lifestyle, and others engage in lifetime behaviors that cause it. |
Anonymous
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Haven't read the responses, but I keep up to date on the research. I do the key things:
-healthy mostly plant based diet avoid ultra=processed foods -exercise especially use weights -don't drink alcohol at all -healthy relationships and more boundaries with toxic family -keep learning new things and keep up hobbies (while still working as much as is possible) -manage mental health-which for me was about boundaries with certain extended family members -floss daily and avoid mouth wash-especially mouth wash with alcohol |
Anonymous
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I eat lots of fiber and at least 30 different plant sources weekly - spices and coffee/tea count in this equation, it’s not that hard to accomplish. A healthy gut it foundational for a healthy brain.
I got my shingles vaccine the day I turned 50; there is a correlation between being vaxxed against shingles and a lower rate of dementia. Similarly I get the updated Covid vaccine yearly, because research has established that those who do have a lower rate of cancers in subsequent years. The mRNA vaccines stimulate the immune system to work more efficiently in general, which means it works better at attacking developing cancer cells which occur in any aging mammal on a regular basis. Also anything that keeps the immune system robust will help with maintaining brain health. I read and do puzzles and engage new ideas on the regular. I eschew alcohol entirely - it’s poison that shrinks the brain and especially bad for an aging brain. I try to work on my physical activity levels, which is a bit of a challenge because my job - caring for profoundly demented patients - is largely sedentary. Recently I’ve taken up weight lifting and body weight exercises I can do while hand feeding and otherwise caring for my current profoundly demented patient. Dementia is awful; it’s worth it to do whatever you can to avoid or delay it. |
Anonymous
I forgot to include the mouthwash one in my list - luckily was never big on the stuff except maybe just before a date, but was shocked to learn in recent years how bad it is for gut and thus brain health. Brush, floss - ditch the mouthwash. |
Anonymous
Ouch this is so painfully ignorant. |
Anonymous
| Peppercorn pp, do you put that on food or just eat them without chewing? |
Anonymous
No, this is NOT terrible advice. Go do a google search for vegan body builders. Humans can get ALL the protein they need from PLANTS, without any of the negative effects of consuming animal products. Do you think gorillas aren’t strong? I mean seriously, crack and book and stop getting nutritional advice from bros on tik tok. |
Anonymous
No actually research has established that lifestyle factors are a greater than 50% influence on cancers AND dementia. |
Anonymous
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NYT word games
Try to make sure I have no inflammation Keep my weight manageable Sleep well Get some good endorphins, serotonin, oxytocin, dopamine going by playing and snuggling with the dog Regular and enjoyable sex Learning new things |
Anonymous
I’ll google to see why to avoid mouthwash. I never heard that before. OP |
Anonymous
I suppose it's ignorant if your diet consists of take-out, fried foods, mayonnaise made with canola and soybean oil, etc. A paleo diet is best for health. |
Anonymous
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I have heard that learning a new language as well as doing crossword puzzles helps.
I personally learn a new word every day. |