Healthy lifestyle factors, including physical activity and smoking cessation, are associated with a lower risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.

6 Healthy Habits that Reduce the Risk of Developing Alzheimer's Disease

Scientists assessed the condition of the participants according to seven factors considered to be the basis of the health of the cardiovascular system:

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• Eat more fruits, vegetables, pulses (for example, beans, peas and lentils) and nuts and seeds.

• Try to choose lower-fat dairy foods where possible.

• Use vegetable and plant oils for cooking and dressing – for example, olive oil and rapeseed oil. Try to avoid solid fats like butter, lard or ghee.

• Limit the amount of salt in your diet – try not to eat more than 6g (about a teaspoon) a day.

• Try to make sugary foods only occasional treats – such as pastries, sweets, biscuits, cakes and chocolate.

• Consume alcohol in moderation (ideally with food) – if you don’t drink alcohol already, try not to start.

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3. Don't smoke

If you smoke, you’re putting yourself at a much higher risk of developing dementia later in life.

Smoking does a lot of harm to the circulation of blood around the body, particularly the blood vessels in the brain, as well as the heart and lungs.

It’s never too late to quit smoking. However, the earlier you stop, the more brain damage you will avoid. (Top 7 Tips for Quitting Smoking: The Most Effective Ways to Stop Smoking?)

4. Avoid alcohol

Drinking alcohol increases your risk of developing dementia.
Drinking much alcohol at one time exposes your brain to high levels of harmful chemicals.

Alcohol increases your risk of damage to your brain and other organs, and so increases your risk of dementia.

5. Stay mentally and socially active

Engaging in mental or social activities may help to build up your brain’s ability to cope with the disease, relieve stress, and improve your mood. This means doing these activities may help to delay, or even prevent, dementia from developing.

Find activities you enjoy that challenge your brain, and do them regularly. This could be puzzles or crosswords, but there are also many other activities you could do.

Anything that engages your mind, processes information and develops your thinking skills is good for the brain and reduces your risk. For example any kind of adult education or learning
arts and crafts (especially in groups)
playing a musical instrument or singing
volunteering, for example, volunteering with Alzheimer's Society
doing ‘brainteasers’, such as puzzles, crosswords or quizzes
playing card games, chess or board games
reading books, or becoming a member of a book club
creative writing or keeping a diary
learning a new language.

If you use a smartphone or tablet (for example an iPad) you might enjoy apps that can provide mental stimulation. These include puzzle, memory or board game apps.

Social activities are also good for the brain, making them a great way to reduce your risk of getting dementia. This includes interacting with other people online as well as in person. This means it’s important to try to keep in touch with the people who matter to you, such as friends and family.

6. Take control of your health

As you get older, you are more likely to develop certain health conditions, such as high blood pressure or diabetes. These conditions can increase the risk of getting dementia.

An important way to avoid this is by going for a health check.

 

It turned out that even at the highest risk, compliance with the recommendations made it possible to reduce the likelihood of developing Alzheimer's disease.

 

The good news is that even people with the highest genetic risk who lead a healthy lifestyle are likely to have a lower risk of developing dementia.

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