Holistically Healthy Lifestyle Reduces Alzheimer's Risk

By Sara Novak, TreeHugger

A holistically healthy lifestyle marked by ample exercise and a healthy whole foods diet means less risk of Alzheimer’s. Basically, the way you treat your body has a lot to do with your mind. New research links activity level, blood pressure, weight, and smoking to Alzheimer’s, according to the Washington Times. And prevention is crucial considering that there is yet no cure to this agonizing disease.

Currently Alzheimer’s impacts 35 million people around the world and for the most part people feel helpless in preventing it. But a new study points to decisions we make during our lives as an indicator of the disease later in life.

“We can do something about this,” Dr. Ronald Petersen, a Mayo Clinic dementia specialist who had no role in the study told the Washington Times. A common misconception is that you’re “dealt a deck of cards at birth,” he said, but “people need not just sit back and watch this unfold.”

A whole foods diet loaded with fruits and vegetables along with exercise, avoiding smoking, and weight management reduce your changes of the disease significantly.

According to the Washington Times:

The study used a mathematical model to estimate the impact of top modifiable risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease: smoking, depression, low education, diabetes, too little exercise, and obesity and high blood pressure in mid-life.

Education had the biggest impact on the disorder worldwide because this accounts for individuals that don’t use cognitive function as often and it was also linked to poor nutrition. Smoking was the second highest risk factor worldwide. In the US, where education rates are higher, a sedentary lifestyle and mid-life depression were the biggest risk factors.

According to Alzheimer’s Prevention, the ideal prevention diet includes 20 percent healthy fats including extra virgin olive oil, avocado, and flax seed oil and whole foods including soy, fish, and other lean proteins as well as a rainbow of fruits, vegetables, and legumes. And then there’s the brain superfoods including blueberries, spinach, and seaweed.

This isn’t very far from a locally minded plant-based diet. Hit the farmers’ market and load up on the freshest, most antioxidant laden produce, cook everything with good fats (listed above), and walk to get to all your destinations. It’s low impact on the planet and studies like this prove your risks of disease later down the line decline.

Image credit: bravenewtraveler / Flickr

Read more: Alzheimer's, Diet & Nutrition, General Health, Health

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Jennifer U.

1:30PM PST on Dec 14, 2012

Healthy body = Healthy Mind & Healthy Soul

December 14
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Rita W.

8:29AM PST on Nov 17, 2012

good info, thanks

November 17
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Harbor H.

10:13AM PDT on Apr 30, 2012

The dude in the photo looks kinda lost.

April 30
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Susan S.

12:34PM PDT on Apr 28, 2012

Thank you.

April 28
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Ann F.

2:26AM PDT on Apr 28, 2012

thank you for the informative article.

Carole R.

6:04PM PST on Dec 21, 2011

Thanks for the information.

December 21
send a green star

Belinda M.

9:22PM PST on Dec 17, 2011

December 17
send a green star

Danuta W.

12:22AM PST on Nov 29, 2011

thanks for the article

November 29
send a green star

Michele W.

2:36PM PDT on Aug 18, 2011

Thank you

August 18
send a green star

Paul B.

2:30AM PDT on Aug 11, 2011

Want to avoid Alzheimer's, put top on your list to avoid yearly flu vaccinations. Then learn to eat a raw plant based diet.
Doc Blake

"Dr. Gherardi emphasizes that once the aluminum is injected into the muscle, the immune activation persists for years. In addition, we must consider the effect of the aluminum that travels to the brain itself. Numerous studies have shown harmful effects when aluminum accumulates in the brain. A growing amount of evidence points to high brain aluminum levels as a major contributor to Alzheimer's disease and possibly Parkinson's disease and ALS (Lou Geherig's disease). This may also explain the 10X increase in Alzheimer's disease in those receiving the flu vaccine 5 years in a row. (Dr. Hugh Fudenberg, in press, Journal of Clinical Investigation). It is also interesting to note that a recent study found that aluminum phosphate produced 3X the blood level of aluminum, as did aluminum hydroxide. (Flarend RE, hem SL, et al. In vivo absorption of aluminum-containing vaccine adjuvants using 26 Al. Vaccine 1997; 15: 1314-1318.)"

From the article: The Truth Behind the Vaccine Cover-Up. Russell Blaylock, M.D.

Dr. Paul Blake, N.D.