Dementia and ways to prevent it!

Dementia is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that involve loss of memory, difficulty in thinking and performing familiar tasks. It is an incurable disease but can be managed with treatments.

It has been concluded in studies that it is strongly linked with age; as it is common among people over the age of 65 but it can also affect people of younger ages. It is mostly diagnosed at age 45.

Symptoms include forgetfulness, losing track of time, becoming lost in familiar places or even in ones home, difficulty in communication, difficulty in walking, behavioral changes like repeated questioning.

Studies have shown that risk of dementia can be reduced by
Self care:
1. Abstaining from smoking and heavy drinking.
2. Controlling weight and eating healthy diets (consume green leafy vegetables).
3. Maintaining healthy blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar level.
4. Being physically active, engage in walking, running or any other recreational activity.
5. Staying mentally alert and cognitive training by learning new hobbies, reading, solving puzzles and playing challenging games.

Intake of supplements and vitamins that helps boost memory:
1. Co enzyme Q10 (CoQ10).
2. Alpha lipoic acid.
3. Omega 3’s.
4. Acetyl-L-carnitine.
5. Ginkgo biloba.
6. Vitamin C taken with Vitamin E.
7. Vitamin B12 with folic acid.

Both self care and use of vitamins and supplements should not be taken lightly in prevention of dementia as they work hand in hand.