Tag Archives: Alzheimer’s

Sugary soda and Alzheimer’s

29 Wednesday Sep 2021

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Drinking just one can of sugary soda a day increases the risk of Alzheimer’s by 47%. And adding just 2-and-a-half teaspoons of sugar to your daily cup of tea can raise the risk of Alzheimer’s by 33%. That’s according to new research from Columbia University. 

First of all, sugar triggers inflammation in the body and brain… and when that happens on a daily basis, the brain has a harder time clearing away plaque. That leads to more inflammation – and eventually, damaged neurons and the onset of Alzheimer’s. 

Also, there’s a link between Type 2 diabetes and Alzheimer’s. Because too much sugar can trigger diabetes, which is also a risk factor for dementia. And the Alzheimer’s Association says this new study backs up that evidence, showing excess sugar may increase the risk of Alzheimer’s disease… and all types of sugar – from fruit juice to soda – have the same effect. So, to protect your brain and lower your risk of Alzheimer’s disease, cut WAY back on added sugar. 

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Eat these foods to age more slowly:

27 Tuesday Apr 2021

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Watermelon, carrots, squash and spinach. According to the European Journal of Nutrition, people who eat the most watermelon, carrots, squash and spinach have DNA that ages more slowly. As a result, those people have a lower risk of age-related problems, like Alzheimer’s, cancer and cardiovascular disease. The power is in the antioxidants that control the plant’s pigment! They’re called carotenoids, and they give fruits and vegetables their bright colors – and help protect against disease by fortifying cells from damage. So load up on watermelon, carrots, squash and spinach.

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Here’s the latest on Alzheimer’s and dementia prevention:

30 Monday Mar 2020

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Did you know you’ll improve your mental power simply by reading the newspaper? That’s because reading increases blood flow to the brain, and strengthens the connections between brain cells. Dr. Sandra Chapman is director of the Center for Brain Health at the University of Texas. She says talking about what you read is even better. Because interpreting a story strengthens the frontal lobe of the brain, which is one of the first areas to decline with age.

And a new study in Psychological Science finds learning new, active skills, like quilting, a new language, or playing a musical instrument, or traveling in a foreign country are more effective at keeping your mind sharp. That’s compared to doing something like crosswords and other word and number puzzles. It’s because social, engaging activities like traveling and detail-work, like tiny stitches and new vocabulary words, promote active learning and continuous stimulation of our brain functions.

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Want to cut your risk of developing age-related dementia?

14 Thursday Nov 2019

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Hang out in a sauna at least 4 times a week! Finnish researchers analyzed 20 years’ worth of data from the Heart Disease Risk Factor Study. And they found people who spent 20-minutes in a sauna on most days were 66% less likely to be diagnosed with any form of dementia, including Alzheimer’s. The researchers aren’t sure WHY sweating in a 170-degree sauna lowers dementia risk… but they believe it’s partly because heat increases the resting heart rate, which sends more oxygen-rich blood to the brain.

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Do you jumpstart your day with coffee?

14 Monday Oct 2019

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Here’s another reason to stick with caffeine: It may slow your biological aging process! That’s from the Stanford School of Medicine. The reason? Because most of us tend to develop inflammation in our tissues, veins, and arteries as we age, which can lead to heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer’s, osteoarthritis and even depression. But the metabolites in caffeine help minimize inflammation. Bottom line: Coffee may be the closest thing we have to a fountain of youth.

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Extend your life by eating this!

31 Friday May 2019

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If you want to live at least two years longer – or more – eat plenty of fish! That’s the gist of research from the Harvard School of Public Health… which found the Omega-3 fatty acids in fish lower our risk for heart disease, depression, asthma, Alzheimer’s and more. The types of fish with the most Omega-3s include salmon, albacore tuna, lake trout, herring, and mackerel. And the researchers recommend eating at least two servings a week.

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Here’s a surprising way to reduce your risk of Alzheimer’s:

17 Friday May 2019

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Sleep on your side. When we sleep, the fluid in our brain works to clear out the waste products that can turn into the plaque linked to Alzheimer’s. In fact, our brain temporarily shrinks – but only slightly – so the fluid can get into all the nooks and crannies. And according to researchers at the Stony Brook School of Medicine, side-sleeping helps that brain fluid circulate more easily, allowing it to do a better job cleaning out the debris.

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Eat blueberries every day to be happy!

15 Wednesday May 2019

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If you’re looking for a happiness boost: Eat blueberries. According to the journal Pharmacological Research, eating a half-cup of blueberries every day could raise your serotonin levels by 20%. Serotonin is a brain chemical linked to a better mood. It also helps keep your brain cells and arteries running smoothly – decreasing the risk of stroke, heart disease and Alzheimer’s. And we get the serotonin boost from the anthocyanin in blueberries; the antioxidant that gives them their deep color.

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Did you know that exercise literally makes your brain bigger?

14 Monday Jan 2019

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Here’s how it works…

University of Kentucky researchers had a group of men and women run on a treadmill – then researchers scanned their brains. And they found that, after exercise, there was more blood flow to the brain. That triggers the growth of new cells, particularly in the brain’s memory center… and that can help stave off Alzheimer’s disease. And you don’t need to kill yourself running for miles, either.

Research from the University of Pittsburgh shows even going for a brisk walk boosts the size of the brain’s memory center, and other areas, by as much as two percent.

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Here’s another reason to embrace your love for coffee and tea:

26 Wednesday Sep 2018

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Your favorite caffeinated beverage could help you stay younger – and healthier – longer! That’s according to Dr. David Furman, director of the Stanford Institute for Immunity and Infection.

He and his research team studied chronic inflammation – which gradually increases as we age. It’s linked to almost every single big-time disease, including heart problems, cancer, joint disorders and Alzheimer’s. And in the study, the participants with the lowest levels of inflammation – at any age – had one surprising thing in common: They all drank caffeinated beverages. And the more caffeine they consumed – up to 5 cups of coffee a day – the lower their inflammation levels… and the less likely they were to have symptoms of worsening health, like high blood pressure or hardening of the arteries.

So, why is caffeine such an effective anti-inflammatory? Because it greatly reduces activity along the body’s inflammatory gene pathway – and helps short-circuit the normal body-wide inflammation linked to aging.

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