Under dementia, various diseases are summarized in which the mental performance drops very sharply, which severely restricts those affected in everyday life. Alzheimer's disease is the most common. In the process, those affected lose their intellectual abilities and change their personality within a few years. Alzheimer's leads to mental and physical helplessness and need.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), a healthy lifestyle with a balanced diet and exercise should help to reduce the risk of dementia. The WHO has published guidelines for the prevention of dementia for the first time, establishing a connection between obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, and dementia. Since there is still no cure for dementia, the WHO advises states and health care providers to take preventive action.
Preventing dementia: 7 tips against Alzheimer's & Co.
Physical activity
Sport is the best medicine and should also be effective in protecting against cognitive decline. The WHO recommends exercising a lot in everyday life and doing sports. Even with mentally handicapped people, it is assumed that moderate sport and exercise reduce the symptoms.
Quit smoking and less alcohol
According to the WHO, tobacco consumption should be completely avoided, as this, in addition to other health disadvantages, also increases the risk of mental decline. Excessive and regular alcohol consumption should also promote the development of dementia.
Pay attention to nutrition
The traditional Mediterranean diet has proven to be particularly healthy. It consists of lots of vegetables, fish and good fats. In general, a healthy and balanced diet should be the basis for every adult, so that dietary supplements are also not required. These should only be used if your doctor has diagnosed a specific deficiency, for example in vitamin D, iron, or vitamin B12. Otherwise, it is important to eat the freshest, unprocessed food possible, avoid refined grains and sugar as far as possible, and, ideally, eat 500 grams of vegetables a day.
Social Activities
While there is insufficient evidence that social activities reduce the risk of dementia, social participation and support are closely related to good health and wellbeing. The healthiest 100-year-olds in the world in the so-called Blue Zones show again and again how important social interaction and belonging to a community are.
Reducing obesity
It is strongly recommended to reduce obesity, especially obesity (obesity), to maintain mental activity and performance. At the same time, a normal weight reduces the risk of other diseases that can occur in old age, e.g. cardiovascular diseases or type 2 diabetes.
Treating high blood pressure
The WHO assumes that high blood pressure increases the risk of dementia, which is why it should definitely be treated. In addition to a low-salt diet, regular exercise and certain medications also help lower blood pressure.
Treating diabetes
Whether through medication or a change in lifestyle, eg with a healthy diet and exercise, diabetes must always be treated to prevent dementia. Because diabetics have an approximately 50 percent increased risk of suffering mental decline. The reason for this has not yet been conclusively clarified, but researchers assume that the sugar metabolism in the brain could be disturbed in diabetes, which promotes the development of Alzheimer's disease.
