Worthy Brothers, today I wish to share with you eight great lifestyle changes that will go a long way toward improving your overall health:

1. Eat more fruits and vegetables. A population-based cohort study of 1,836 older Japanese-Americans found that consumption of fruit and vegetable juices was associated with decreased incident of Alzheimer’s over seven to nine years of follow-up.
2. Eat berries each day. These berries contain high levels of biologically active components, including a class of compounds called anthocyanosides, which fight memory impairment associated with free radicals and beta-amyloid plaques in the brain.
3. Eat fish high in omega-3 fatty acids. In the Framingham study, individuals with the top quartile levels of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) found in fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, and tuna, measured at baseline had lower rates of Alzheimer’s over nine years of follow-up.
4. Take folic acid supplementation or eat foods high in folate. High levels of homocysteine may be associated with poor cognitive function. Some findings indicate that reducing homocysteine with folic acid may increase cognitive function.
5. Drink a glass of red wine with your evening meal Components in grape skins protect brain cells from the toxic effect of oxidative stress and beta-amyloid.
6. Follow a Mediterranean style diet. Two studies that used dietary questionnaires to assess and quantify adherence to the diet in different populations found that patients who were most adherent to the Mediterranean style diet had a lower incidence of Alzheimer’s, compared with those who did not follow this diet.
7. Control your blood pressure. Hypertension appears to be associated with an increased risk of both vascular dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
8. Have strong social support. Findings indicate that an active social life and strong network of friends may help prevent Alzheimer’s in later life.

Michael Litwin
Health Director