3 Habits You Can Build Today to Protect Your Brain Against Dementia
Aging. Getting older. Not a subject most of us are comfortable talking about. Maybe it’s because I was raised by my grandparents, but I’ve always been acutely aware of the process of aging, both in myself and those around me.
And there’s no getting around it. Time marches on day by day, minute by minute. As my Nana says, “Getting older is better than the alternative.” But what if instead of passively aging we did so with purpose and knowledge? This series on my blog called Aging Gracefully will focus on the latest research surrounding how to age to maintain our health and vitality. We have ample data to show us the best ways to grow older so why not use it? I don’t know about you, but I want to stay happy and healthy well into my golden years.
One of the most common concerns as people age is dementia. According to the Alzheimer’s Association’s 2021 annual report,
“Between 2000 and 2019, deaths from heart disease have DECREASED 7.3% while deaths from Alzheimer’s disease have INCREASED 145%.”
Now this dramatic increase could partly be due to better diagnostic tools for dementia leading to identifying more cases. It could also be due to the lifestyle of the average American- sedentary with a poor-diet and low mental stimulation.
In a Ted Talk by neuroscientist Lisa Genova, she speaks about three lifestyle changes we can make to help protect ourselves against dementia down the road.
Cardiovascular exercise
Sleep
Developing neuroplasticity
You have probably heard about the first two strategies I will talk about today a million times- but I hope the third is new and exciting! I also want to walk you through WHY each of these habits is so important to healthy aging. I find that when I understand why something helps me, I am much more likely to follow through.
Before we get started, it’s important that you understand what is going on in the brain of someone with Alzheimer’s disease. I promise not to get too science-y.
Neurons are the cells in our brain and the synapse is the space between the neurons. This space is where our thinking happens. Chemical messengers are able to freely move through the neurons when the synapse is clear and free. However, as we get older this space can get “gummed” up. If the space between the neurons is full of junk, it becomes much more difficult, if not impossible, to send messages throughout the brain.
As the synapse gets filled with junk, the brain releases other chemicals to try and clear it. Unfortunately, this produces widespread inflammation. The combination of debris buildup between the synapses and subsequent inflammation are thought to be the two main causes of dementia.
So then, we need to figure out strategies to more effectively clear out the junk between our synapses to protect our thinking pathways from dementia. Luckily for us, this research has been being conducted for years so we have a good idea of how to best do that.
Cardiovascular exercise
Blah, blah, exercise, blah. It seems like exercise is the answer to just about everything, which actually might be the case!
*Please consult your doctor before beginning an exercise regimen!
One of the reasons that cardiovascular exercise is so good for our entire bodies, is that it helps circulate our blood more efficiently. This allows the chemicals in our blood to do what they need to do, where they need to do it.
In the case of dementia prevention, exercise may actually help wash out our synapses. This in turn prevents build-up, allowing our neurons to communicate as they need to.
The World Health Organization recommends at least 2, 10-minute exercise sessions per day and you have to get that heart rate up in order for the movement to be effective! Walk with a purpose, jump rope, do a yoga flow, anything that will get you breathing hard enough that it’s a little difficult to hold a conversation. (And if you’re having a hard time developing an exercise habit, please check out my blog post here!)
2. Sleep
Sleep can be a touchy subject since so many people struggle with it, as I have. I now consistently get 7.5-8 hours per night but that wasn’t always the case. In my deepest bouts of depression, I was lucky to get 4 hours a night. This hugely affected my mood and ability to think.
Many important bodily mechanisms occur while we sleep. Clearing the debris from between the neurons in our brain is one of them. It’s also the time that we encode our memories from the day. Both of these functions are essential to optimize our thinking. Therefore, getting adequate sleep, at least 7 hours per night, is essential to help protect against Alzheimer’s disease.
It’s easy to say how important sleep is but it’s another thing to actually get it. You can find a great article for better sleep hygiene here.
And the most exciting and fun way to protect against dementia…
3. Developing neuroplasticity
It wasn’t too long ago that the scientific community thought changing the structure of our brains was impossible. Recently, the concept of neuroplasticity has gained traction and in fact this was something I researched as an undergraduate in college! It works by increasing the density of the information networks in our brain.
The Oxford dictionary defines neuroplasticity as “the ability of the brain to form and reorganize synaptic connections, especially in response to learning or experience or following injury.”
When you learn something new- a new word, a new skill, a new sound- your brain creates a connection between two neurons. The more connections you have, the more cognitive reserve you have. The more cognitive reserve you have, the more cognitive function you can stand to lose even if you do develop dementia.
In the famous Nun Study from the 1980s, nearly 700 Catholic Nuns participated in research to help determine the causes of dementia. They participated in cognitive testing while alive and then donated their brains for autopsy after death.
The most interesting finding from the study is that even though these Nuns had the buildup of junk in their brain, they did not display any symptoms of dementia. Basically- their brains looked like they should have had dementia but the testing they underwent in the study showed they had totally normal cognitive performance.
There could be many reasons for this, but a main consensus is that these Nuns were protected against dementia because they regularly participated in mentally stimulating activities.
Think about it- if you only know one thing about something and that connection can't be made because of extra junk, then you won't be able to remember that thing. If, however, you know 5 things, you are more likely to remember it.
Let's say you are trying to remember the name of the herb "rosemary". If the name is all you know, you will have a harder time remembering it. But if you know how it looks, feels, tastes and smells you can use those connections to remember the word. You have even more connections if you know that it has antibacterial properties and how to grow it.
Dr. Genova notes that it is not enough to simply recall information that you already know. You have to have new, stimulating experiences. She states that the best thing we can do for our brains is to go for a brisk walk in a new neighborhood with a friend.
There you have it, three habits you can develop to help protect your brain against dementia.
Getting at least 2, 10-minute exercises sessions per day
Getting at least 7 hours of sleep per night
Developing neuroplasticity by learning new things
Whether you’re in your 20s or 60s, it’s never too early or late to start cultivating habits to maintain our maximum cognitive function for as long as possible. Getting older is inevitable but it doesn’t have to be scary. With the right tools and knowledge, it is absolutely possible to age gracefully.
What activity can you participate in to create new connections in your brain?
Comment below!
References
Alty J, Farrow M, Lawler K. Exercise and dementia prevention. Practical Neurology 2020; 20:234-240.