Causes of dementia, prevention methods and effective dietary restrictions

With the aging of the population, the prevalence of dementia is increasing year by year, and so far, there is no effective treatment for the disease worldwide. Therefore, it is very important to understand the relevant high-risk factors of the disease and take targeted preventive measures as early as possible to delay the disease and reduce the occurrence of dementia. Today, let's talk about the causes of dementia, effective preventive measures, and corresponding effective foods.

As cardiovascular diseases are becoming younger, the age of onset of dementia is also getting earlier. The high-risk factors for dementia are divided into two categories: controllable factors and uncontrollable factors. The causes of the disease can be traced back to eating habits and living habits.

| Uncontrollable factors in the causes of dementia

1. Age

Ageing is the biggest risk factor for the onset of dementia in the elderly. Most patients with dementia are over 65 years old. Data show that the likelihood of developing dementia doubles every 5 years; after the age of 85, the likelihood of developing the disease exceeds 30%. Among the patients, the proportion of women is greater than that of men. Epidemiological surveys have shown that there are obvious gender differences in the onset of cognitive impairment, and the incidence rate of postmenopausal women is 1.5 to 3 times higher than that of men of the same age group.

2. Family inheritance

Dementia tends to cluster in families. Studies have found that cognitive impairment is associated with chromosomal dominant inheritance and polygenic inheritance. At least four gene mutations have been found to be associated with the onset of cognitive impairment. According to statistics, the incidence of dementia in close relatives of patients is more than four times that of the general population.

3. Down syndrome

Down syndrome patients are prone to Alzheimer's disease around middle age due to the effects of amyloid plaques and TAU protein mutations.

| Controllable factors of dementia

1. High blood pressure and high cholesterol: Studies have found that the risk of elderly people suffering from high blood pressure or high cholesterol alone is twice that of those with normal values. For those who suffer from both high blood pressure and high cholesterol, the risk is three times that of the normal population.

Special reminder: While controlling high blood pressure, you should also prevent low blood pressure. Low blood pressure can cause insufficient blood supply to the brain. Long-term insufficient blood supply to the brain can cause damage to brain cells, accelerate brain atrophy, affect brain function, and also lead to the occurrence of dementia.

2. Diabetes The incidence of dementia in diabetics is 1.2 to 2.8 times higher than that of ordinary people. Blood sugar fluctuations, high or low blood sugar levels, as well as high blood pressure and arteriosclerosis, which are often associated with diabetes, can all contribute to the development of dementia.

3. Obesity A study by Utah State University in the United States tracked the physical condition of hundreds of Swedish women for 18 years and found that if women were obese around the age of 70, they would be much more likely to suffer from dementia in their 80s than normal people. Obese people are often accompanied by high blood pressure, high blood lipids or diabetes, heart disease, etc. As mentioned above, these diseases are all high-risk factors for vascular dementia.

4. Brain diseases and brain trauma Vascular cognitive impairment is mainly related to ischemic cerebrovascular disease and multiple cerebral infarctions. Various cerebrovascular diseases (including cerebral hemorrhage, cerebral infarction and cerebral small vessel disease), Parkinson's disease, brain tumors, and encephalitis increase the risk of cognitive impairment. Patients with carbon monoxide poisoning are also prone to cognitive impairment. Craniocerebral trauma can damage nerve cells, leading to memory loss and intellectual impairment. In severe cases, it may cause cognitive impairment. Some boxers will develop cognitive impairment over time due to repeated punches to the head. Boxing King Ali is a victim.

5. Bad living habits Smoking, lack of exercise, improper diet and other bad living habits can easily lead to high blood pressure, high blood lipids or diabetes, coronary heart disease, etc., which in turn cause cognitive impairment. According to the survey, the prevalence of cognitive impairment in people over 60 years old in northern my country is 3.96%, of which vascular cognitive impairment accounts for the majority. Most of these patients have the habit of eating spicy and meaty foods, and more than half of them have a history of smoking for more than 10 years.

| How to prevent dementia

1. Listen to more music

Japanese experts have found that music has a positive stimulating effect on brain waves, blood flow, hormones, etc., and can also stimulate people's various senses, thereby activating brain function.

2. Strengthen brain exercise

Use your brain frequently and learn more, such as reading books and newspapers, playing mahjong, learning computers, reciting poems, etc., to maintain memory function, or do more activities to develop memory and brain power, which can be promoted by moderate stress.

3. Prevent and treat constipation

Through surveys and studies on more than 10,000 elderly people, it was found that long-term constipation can reduce a person's intelligence level. More than 80% of dementia patients have a positive correlation with constipation. Therefore, preventing and treating constipation can help prevent dementia.

4. Healthy lifestyle

Pay attention to regular life, nutritious diet, less oil, less salt, no smoking, no alcohol; insist on physical exercise; keep a calm mind, and be positive and optimistic.

| Foods that are effective in preventing dementia

1. Walnuts can improve memory. Eating a few walnuts in the morning and evening can promote brain development and improve memory. But don't eat too much. Eating about 4 walnuts a day is enough. Eating too much can cause symptoms such as nose bleeding and dry stool.

2. Peanuts delay brain decline. Experiments have shown that regular consumption of peanuts can improve blood circulation, enhance memory, and delay aging, making it a veritable "longevity fruit."

3. Eggs promote brain development. Eggs are rich in lecithin, yolk and triglycerides, all of which play an important role in nerve development, can promote brain development and enhance memory.

4. Kelp, brain-boosting and intelligence-enhancing. Kelp is rich in nutrients such as linoleic acid and lecithin, which have the effect of strengthening the brain. The sulfonic substances in kelp and other algae foods are indispensable in the process of brain development.

5. Fish, prevent brain cell degeneration and reduce the risk of cerebrovascular disease. Fish is rich in DHA, commonly known as "brain gold", which can prevent brain cell degeneration, delay brain aging, and play an important role in improving memory and thinking ability. In addition, French researchers have found that fish has greater health benefits. Researchers at the University of Bordeaux in France analyzed the MRI results of 1,623 people over 65 years old who had no history of stroke, cardiovascular disease or dementia. Participants were divided into four groups based on how often they ate fish: less than once a week, about once a week, two to three times a week, or four times a week or more. The researchers compared the number of signs of vascular disease between each group. They found that participants who ate more fish showed fewer signs of damage in their brain MRI scans compared to those who ate fish less frequently. The study was published in the journal Neurology.

For most of us, our risk of developing dementia depends on a complex interaction of multiple genetic and environmental factors. Understanding which aspects of our lifestyle have the greatest impact on our brain health is key to enabling people to make informed decisions about their lifestyle. (Image source: Internet)