First, the correlations between healthy eating and cognitive function continue to appear strong. In many studies, those who eat a plant-based diet rich in antioxidants, omega-3 fatty acids, and other staples of the anti-inflammatory Mediterranean diet had a lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease than those who eat more animal proteins, processed foods, and sugars.

In a study published in 2021 in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, researchers studied more than 1,000 people in a Mediterranean population, all over age 64, who did not have dementia. Over the course of three years the participants were monitored for cognitive changes, and the results were compared against their dietary intake. At the end of the follow-up period, 62 cases of dementia were observed. Those participants who had the best adherence to a Mediterranean diet were found to have a 72% lower risk of dementia when compared to those with the lowest adherence. The results were consistent with earlier studies of other populations that found reduced risk of dementia in those who followed a Mediterranean diet.

In addition, one U.S. based study reviewed the brain scans of 70 adults between the ages of 30 and 60, about half of whom followed a Mediterranean diet, over a three-year period. Although none of the 70 showed signs of cognitive dysfunction at the beginning of the study, those who did not follow a Mediterranean diet showed biomarkers associated with Alzheimer’s disease. The differences in brain images widened over the three years of the study, with the non-Mediterranean diet group showing increases in the biomarkers associated with dementia. That should be a wake-up call for all of us. The seeds of cognitive decline later in life are being sown in young adulthood and middle age, and preventive steps early on can help protect against dementia in older years.

To help reduce your risk of a wide variety of diseases, including not only Alzheimer’s but also heart disease, cancer, and diabetes, it is advisable to consume more omega-3 fatty acids and fewer omega-6 fatty acids. A good way to do this is to add wild-caught fatty fish such as Alaskan salmon to your diet, and reduce consumption of processed and fried foods, which tend to be saturated with omega-6-rich soybean oil. Rebalancing the ratios of these fats is an important component of an anti-inflammatory diet.

Second, you’ve probably heard that mentally stimulating activities and staying socially engaged and active can reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. A review in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease looked at studies that included more than 2 million subjects and found that poor social engagement was associated with an increased risk of dementia. Risk factors included living alone, not participating in the community, and having poor social interactions. Depression magnified the risk of low social connections.

Even more notably, a new study from Rush University reported on 1,903 older individuals who were evaluated over several years for participation in cognitively stimulating activities. None had been diagnosed with dementia at the beginning of the study, but 457 of them showed signs of dementia after a mean of 6.8 years. Results showed that those who regularly engaged in activities that were mentally challenging developed dementia at older ages than those with lower levels of cognitive activity. Researchers concluded that staying mentally active – following the news, playing games, reading, going to the theater – could delay the onset of Alzheimer’s symptoms by as much as five years.

Although we still have much to learn, the current research is clear on this issue: challenging your mind on a regular basis helps to lower the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.

For more on better aging, visit  Dr. Weil on Healthy Aging, Your Online Guide to the Anti-Inflammatory Diet.

Sources
Charisis S, Ntanasi E, Yannakoulia M, Anastasiou CA, Kosmidis MH, Dardiotis E, Hadjigeorgiou G, Sakka P, Scarmeas N. “Mediterranean diet and risk for dementia and cognitive decline in a Mediterranean population.” J Am Geriatr Soc. 2021 Jun;69(6):1548-1559. doi: 10.1111/jgs.17072. Epub 2021 Mar 16. PMID: 33724444. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33724444/

Berti V, Walters M, Sterling J, Quinn CG, Logue M, Andrews R, Matthews DC, Osorio RS, Pupi A, Vallabhajosula S, Isaacson RS, de Leon MJ, Mosconi L. “Mediterranean diet and 3-year Alzheimer brain biomarker changes in middle-aged adults.: Neurology. 2018 May 15;90(20):e1789-e1798. doi: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000005527. Epub 2018 Apr 13. PMID: 29653991; PMCID: PMC5957301.

Penninkilampi R, Casey AN, Singh MF, Brodaty H. The Association between Social Engagement, Loneliness, and Risk of Dementia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. J Alzheimers Dis. 2018;66(4):1619-1633. doi: 10.3233/JAD-180439. PMID: 30452410. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30452410/

Wilson RS, Wang T, Yu L, Grodstein F, Bennett DA, Boyle PA. Cognitive Activity and Onset Age of Incident Alzheimer Disease Dementia. Neurology. 2021 Aug 31;97(9):e922-e929. doi: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000012388. Epub 2021 Jul 14. PMID: 34261788; PMCID: PMC8408511. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34261788/

Originally Posted April 2007. Updated July 2022.

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1. 1. 1. Dark, leafy greens, which contain lutein and zeaxanthin, two carotenoids that can help address cataracts and age-related macular degeneration. Spinach, kale and collard greens are all excellent sources. Start by substituting spinach for romaine in salads, and add a side of greens to your meals.
      2. Sweet potatoes (along with pumpkins and cantaloupes) contain a host of carotenoids that function as precursors of vitamin A – a nutrient necessary for normal vision and retinal functioning. A simple, healthy swap is baking a sweet potato instead of a white potato.
      3. Eggs. Just one egg a day will increase your levels of lutein and zeaxanthin, and also provide sulfur compounds that may help prevent cataracts from forming. Opt for cage-free, omega-3 fortified eggs, which contain higher levels of DHA, another nutrient that’s good for the eyes. If you’re not a fan of eggs for breakfast, add a sliced, hard-boiled egg to a salad for lunch or dinner.

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Medical journal. Keep a personal medical journal that includes a record of past illnesses, injuries, treatments, tests and screenings, hospitalizations, current medications, and family history. Based on family history, identify the categories of age-related disease you are most at risk for, such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, and Alzheimer’s disease, and know the preventive healthy aging lifestyle strategies to help keep these at bay.

Immunizations. Make sure you’re up to date on all recommended immunizations. The Centers for Disease Control provides adult immunization information. While the number of immunizations now being used in infants and children – and the need for some of them (like those for chickenpox) – may be questionable, the benefits far outweigh the risks. In addition to receiving boosters for the immunizations given in early life, those sixty-five and older should also get pneumococcal pneumonia vaccine and an annual influenza shot for healthy aging.

Annual physicals. Get a complete physical examination that includes measurement of blood pressure, urinalysis, and complete blood work, as well as an electrocardiogram (EKG) to promote healthy living. A physical will screen for such common conditions as hypertension, diabetes, elevated serum cholesterol, anemia, and liver or kidney problems. Keep the results in your personal medical record. I do not necessarily recommend annual medical examinations if you are in good health and have no unusual symptoms. Discuss how often to have physicals with your health care provider.

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1. Don’t smoke. Tobacco addiction is the single greatest cause of preventable illness, and tobacco smoke is the most obvious environmental cause of cancer. Exposure to tobacco smoke not only increases the odds of developing many kinds of cancer, it also raises the risks of cardiovascular and respiratory diseases that are simply incompatible with healthy aging. Since almost all cases of tobacco addiction begin in the teenage years or earlier, this message should be heeded by all ages: do not experiment with smoking – the chance of becoming addicted is too great, and this is one of the hardest of all addictions to break.
2. Watch your weight. Morbid obesity, sometimes defined as being more than a hundred pounds above one’s “normal” weight, is incompatible with healthy aging. Carrying extra body weight increases the risk of many age-related diseases, including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and osteoarthritis. Ordinary obesity – weighing at least 20 percent more than you should – correlates with milder forms of those diseases as well as with increased incidence of postmenopausal breast cancer and cancer of the uterus, colon, kidney, and esophagus.
3. Eat a healthful diet. With so much publicity about the obesity epidemic in North America, people have become obsessed with weight and dieting. Fad diets are more popular than ever, outlandish products claiming to promote weight loss are ubiquitous, and bariatric (weight-management) medicine has become a booming specialty. Planning a healthful diet is relatively simple – use the Nutrition section to learn more about the Anti-inflammatory Diet.
4. Be cognizant of your wellbeing. Accidents, violence, and suicide are common pitfalls for the young as well as the old. If you like adrenalin highs, be careful about how you get them. Know the hazards of the activities you choose and know how to contain them. Taking care of the body means different things at different stages in life. Disregard for your health and unhealthy lifestyle habits can markedly increase the risk of chronic disease in later life. Healthy aging is, in part, knowing how to evaluate the risks involved in your behavior, as well as letting go of behaviors better suited to younger bodies.

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Try the following 8 energy-boosting tips and see how your energy levels are affected.

1. Become a grazer. A large meal can trigger your body to release more insulin, causing blood sugar (glucose) levels to drop and leaving you in a fatigue-inducing slump. Skipping meals only deprives your body of needed calories, and sets you up for energy-draining overeating at your next meal. Instead, eat smaller meals or healthy snacks throughout the day, which will help keep blood sugar levels steady.
2. Stay hydrated. Dehydration is a common cause of fatigue, so be sure you’re drinking at least 6 to 8 glasses of good quality water each day, especially during exercise or hot weather. Alcoholic and caffeinated drinks not only dehydrate you, but can sap energy as well.
3. Snack right. Don’t blindly choose energy bars (which tend to be high in fat), and avoid candy or cookies (which can give you an immediate sugar high, but set you up for a slump later on). Instead, try healthier snacks that contain some protein, carbohydrates, and beneficial fats or ones which are whole food, low-fat options. Good options include a handful of unsalted nuts, fresh or dried fruit, yogurt, vegetable sticks, and wholegrain bread or crackers.
4. Check your vitamin C levels. People with higher blood levels of vitamin C appear to have more energy than those with lower levels. This could be because vitamin C influences the production of L-carnitine, an amino acid that helps your body burn fat for energy. The best way to get plenty of vitamin C is from oranges and other citrus fruits, kiwis, bell peppers, broccoli, strawberries, and cantaloupe.
5. Fiber from beans and legumes. Navy beans, kidney beans, chickpeas, and lentils are all rich in fiber (which slows the release of insulin). They provide carbohydrates, protein, vitamins, and minerals as well.
6. Energizing oatmeal. While whole grains in general are healthy, oatmeal has additional benefits: It’s naturally high in fiber, which helps keep blood-sugar levels stable and contains B vitamins, which are essential to convert carbohydrates into energy. Choose steel cut or Irish oatmeal over rolled oats.
7. Nuts for nuts. The perfect energizer? Try a nut butter sandwich. Start with a slice of fiber-packed wholegrain bread and then top it with cashew, almond, or another nut butter for a healthy mix of carbohydrates, protein, and fat.
8. The portable snack. Packed with potassium, bananas can replenish this important mineral, which is lost during exercise. Other good energizing fruits include grapes, apples, peaches, and pineapple.

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The two major categories of memory are short-term and long-term memory. Short-term memory includes remembering the names of people you recently met or where you put your car keys. Information stored in long-term memory includes events that occurred years ago, such as the name of your third-grade teacher, what you wore to your prom, or where you worked during your summer breaks from college.

As we get older, we experience a gradual loss of brain cells. This can affect the way we store and retrieve information. Our short-term memory progressively declines, causing difficulty in remembering details of recent events as well as a diminished ability to learn. Memory loss from aging does not typically affect normal functioning, however, nor does it necessarily get worse over time. It is not the same as dementia.

5 Recommended Lifestyle Changes For Healthy Aging

• Exercise your mind. Research shows that the old adage “use it or lose it” applies to your mental power as much as to the rest of your body. Crossword puzzles, mind games, and challenging reading or educational classes can all help you keep your brain agile and strong.
• Exercise your body. Physical exercise seems to correlate with better mental function, perhaps because of improved circulation.
• Eat a diet rich in antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids. Vegetables and fruits are the best sources of antioxidants, although tea and dark chocolate contribute as well. Cold-water fish, freshly ground flaxseed and walnuts provide omega-3s.
• Avoid alcohol. Alcohol’s damaging effect on brain cells is well established in the medical literature.
• Reduce stress. Learn and practice regular relaxation techniques like meditation or yoga.

3 Nutritional Supplements

Take a daily multivitamin that provides adequate levels of folic acid and other B vitamins. They help the body get rid of homocysteine, a toxic amino acid formed by the breakdown of animal protein that has been linked to heart attack and stroke, and more recently with increased risks of Alzheimer’s. These supplements are also linked to healthy cognitive function:

• Ginkgo biloba – Increases circulation to the brain. Provides memory enhancing effects.
• DHA – One of the omega-3 fatty acids essential for normal brain development and function.
• A vision support formula – Providing antioxidants, zinc, lutein and zeaxanthin.

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Financial Issues
Maintaining Your Health
Lifestyle Choices
Age-Realted Depression
Alzheimer’s Disease
Life Planning
Regulare Exercise

The United States is on the brink of a longevity revolution. By 2030, the number of older Americans will have more than doubled to 70 million, or one in every five Americans. A 1997 longevity and retirement study revealed that 41 percent of people now working feel it is at least somewhat likely that they will live to age 85, 23 percent feel somewhat likely they will live to age 90, and even 15 percent feel it is at least somewhat likely they will live to age 95. The growing number and proportion of older adults places increasing demands on the public health system and on medical and social services.

Health, financial and lifestyle choices can enhance the quality of an individual’s later years and create a life in balance.

Financial Issues

dequate income and assets are of critical importance to virtually all dimensions of well-being in later life. Experts estimate that retirees will need, on average, 70 percent of their pre-retirement income, and lower earners will need 90 percent or more to maintain their standard of living when they stop working. Social Security pays the average retiree about 40 percent of pre-retirement earnings if you retire at age 65. How well you understand your options for managing money and how well you have planned will be the most critical factors in determining your financial well-being as you grow older.

Maintaining Your Health

Great improvements in medicine, science and technology have enabled today’s older Americans to live longer and healthier lives than any previous generation. Yet many Americans fail to make the connection between undertaking healthy behaviors today and the impact of these choices later in life. Research has established that there are distinct advantages to physical exercise, both aerobic and weight-bearing. Individuals should design a program that is right for them. Moreover, screening programs can lead to preventive measures and early treatment interventions that can substantially reduce the impact of illnesses among older people and promote healthy aging. Diet is just as important. Nutritional status influences the progress of many diseases, and studies have shown that good nutritional status can reduce length of hospital stay, contributing to a life in balance.

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Lifestyle Choices

Living quality lives as Americans grow older is defined almost entirely by individual financial planning, followed by some level of acknowledgment of good health practices. Other lifestyle issues are rarely included in discussions related to longevity and aging gracefully. Lifelong learning, volunteerism, care giving, leisure pursuits, second and third careers, and transportation involve issues which routinely impact on the lives of many Americans. However, most people do not readily identify that decisions made in these areas are an integral part of preparing for their future.

Chronic diseases exact a particularly heavy health and economic burden on older adults due to associated long-term illness, diminished quality of life, and greatly increased health-care costs. Although the risks of disease and disability clearly increase with advancing age, poor health is not an inevitable consequence of aging.

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Age-Related Depression

Mental disorders experienced by older adults may differ from those experienced by younger people, which can make accurate diagnosis and treatment difficult. For example, an older person who is depressed may be more likely to report physical symptoms such as insomnia or aches and pains rather than feelings of sadness or worthlessness. It is also important to note that many physicians and other health professionals may not provide effective mental-health care because they receive inadequate training in the diagnosis and treatment of age-related depression in older adults.

Mental disorders represent a grave threat to the health and well-being of older adults. Older adults have the highest rates of suicide in the U.S., and while they represent only 13 percent of the population, individuals ages 65 and over account for 20 percent of all suicides. White men ages 85 and older are especially vulnerable with a suicide rate six times greater than that of the general population. Mental disorders can also negatively affect the ability of older people to recover from other health problems. Heart attacks are five times more likely to be fatal for a person who is depressed. The risk of death for nursing-home residents with major depression is 60-percent higher than for residents who do not have this mental disorder.

Being “down in the dumps” over a period of time is not a normal part of growing old. But it is a common problem, and medical help may be needed. For most people, depression can be treated successfully. “Talk” therapies, drugs, or other methods of treatment can ease the pain of depression. There is no reason to suffer.

There are many reasons why depression in older people is often missed or untreated. As a person ages, the signs of depression are much more likely to be dismissed as crankiness or grumpiness. Depression can also be tricky to recognize. Confusion or attention problems caused by depression can sometimes look like Alzheimer’s disease or other brain disorders. Mood changes and signs of depression can be caused by medicines older people may take for high blood pressure or heart disease. Depression can happen at the same time as other chronic diseases. It can be hard for a doctor to diagnose depression, but the good news is that people who are depressed can get better and live a life in balance with the right treatment.

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Alzheimer’s Disease

The occurrence of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is not a normal development in the aging process. Alzheimer’s disease is characterized by a gradual loss of memory, decline in the ability to perform routine tasks, disorientation, difficulty in learning, loss of language skills, impaired judgment and ability to plan, and personality changes. Over time, these changes become so severe that they interfere with an individual’s daily functioning, resulting eventually in death. While the disease can last from 3 to 20 years after the onset of symptoms, the average duration is 8 years.

Alzheimer’s disease affects as many as 4 million Americans. Most people diagnosed with AD are older than 65. However, it is possible for the disease to occur in people in their 40s and 50s. Recent research has shown links between some genes and AD, but in about 90 percent of cases, there is no clear genetic link. Early and careful evaluation is important because many conditions, including some that are treatable or reversible, may cause dementia-like symptoms. Examples of such treatable medical conditions are depression, nutritional deficiencies, adverse drug interactions and metabolic changes.

Much of the illness, disability and death associated with chronic disease is avoidable through known prevention measures. Key measures include practicing a healthy lifestyle (e.g., regular physical activity, healthy eating and avoiding tobacco use) and the use of early detection practices (e.g., screening for breast, cervical and colorectal cancers, diabetes and its complications, and depression).

Life Plannning

A life course planning approach maximizes access to information and realistic options so people can: maintain the best possible health status and address long-term care needs that they or family members might have; establish long-term economic security and contribute to pensions, savings, investments and public benefits; secure living arrangements that accommodate any special needs; engage in productive, satisfying activities including volunteer work, employment, and community participation which are expressions of active aging; and being an informed consumer. Through life course planning, everyone – from secure, middle-aged people to older Americans who tend to be at greatest risk – can make responsible, informed personal choices in anticipation of their later years.

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Regular Exercise

Regular exercise is a preventive measure that will enhance quality of life for everyone. Older adults have some special considerations.

Some interesting facts:

• Exercise can help older people feel better and enjoy life more, even those who think they’re too old or too out of shape.
• Most older adults don’t get enough physical activity.
• Lack of physical activity and poor diet, taken together, are the second largest underlying cause of death in the U.S. (Smoking is the #1 cause.)
• Regular exercise can improve some diseases and disabilities in older people who already have them. It can improve mood and relieve depression, too.
• Staying physically active on a regular, permanent basis can help prevent or delay certain diseases (like some types of cancer, heart disease, or diabetes) and disabilities as people grow older.

Plan on making physical activity a part of your everyday life, and plan on aging gracefully. Do things you enjoy. Go for brisk walks. Ride a bike. Dance. And don’t stop doing physical tasks around the house and in the yard. Trim your hedges without a power tool. Climb stairs. Rake leaves. Live a life in balance.

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Information courtesy of Psychology Today.

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