A combination of healthy lifestyle choices, such as eating right, exercising regularly, playing card games, and socializing at least twice a week can help slow the rate of memory loss. As a result, the risk of dementia can be reduced, according to a ten-year study.
“A combination of positive healthy behaviors is associated with slower memory decline in cognitively normal older adults,” researchers from the National Center for Neurological Disorders in Beijing, China, write in the prestigious British Medical Journal. Making multiple healthy lifestyle choices “is associated with a lower risk of mild cognitive impairment and dementia,” the researchers say.
The study followed 29,000 adults over the age of 60 with normal cognitive function for 10 years. At the start of the study in 2009, memory function was measured with tests and the subjects were checked for the so-called Apoe gene, the strongest risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease.
They were assigned a score based on a healthy lifestyle, which combined six factors. Not smoking and not drinking alcohol are two of them, but also following a healthy diet. This involves eating at least seven of the twelve food groups: fruits, vegetables, fish, meat, dairy products, salt, oil, eggs, cereals, vegetables, nuts and tea. Cognitive activity is the fourth factor: writing, reading, playing cards or other games at least twice a week. Regular exercise also counts: this means more than 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week or more than 75 minutes of high-intensity exercise per week. Social contact at least twice a week is the sixth factor for healthy behavior. This includes activities such as visiting family and friends, attending meetings or going to parties.
Strong effect
Adjusting for factors likely to influence the results, the researchers found that the six factors of healthy behavior each contributed to a slower-than-average memory decline over a 10-year period. A healthy diet has the strongest effect on slowing memory loss, followed by memory games and then exercise. People with the Apoe gene who lead generally healthy lives also experience slower memory decline than those with the gene who make less healthy choices.
Overall, subjects with four to six healthy behaviors are nearly 90 percent less likely to develop dementia or mild cognitive impairment compared to those who were the least healthy, the researchers say. People who make two to three healthy lifestyle choices have a 30 percent lower risk of memory problems.
Susan Mitchell, head of policy at Alzheimer’s Research UK, says no The Guardian that it is a ‘well-conducted’ study. “This adds to the substantial evidence that a healthy lifestyle can help support memory and thinking skills. Too few of us know there are steps we can take to reduce our chances of developing dementia later in life.”
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