The Alzheimer’s Association held their annual conference from July 10th to 15th, 2010 in Honolulu. The conference serves as an annual forum for the discussion of new discoveries relating to the cause, diagnosis, treatment and cure of Alzheimer’s disease. This year’s conference revealed many new findings with the emphasis on the importance of physical activity and diet in reducing the risk of dementia.
“Research has pointed us towards a number of factors that may impact our risk of Alzheimer’s and cognitive decline, the strongest being reducing cardiovascular risk factors,” said William Thies, PhD, Chief Medical and Scientific Officer at the Alzheimer’s Association.
One long term study followed over 1,200 people for approximately 60 years. Their activity levels were measured over the first 40 years and then they were monitored for signs of dementia in the following 20 years. It was discovered that those people with the highest activity were 40% less likely to develop Alzheimer’s while those demonstrating the least amount of physical activity were most likely to develop the disease.
The other major finding presented all related to the benefits of healthy eating. Researchers found that those who drank tea at levels of 1-4 times per week showed a 37% reduction in cognitive decline. Even those who drank tea less often showed a measurable advantage over non-tea drinkers.
Vitamin D deficiency also led to a higher level of cognitive impairment. The chances of developing Alzheimer’s disease increased 42% in those found to be deficient in vitamin D. The increase was over 300% when people had a severe deficiency.
Eating a diet where 6-9% of the caloric intake comes from walnuts appears to protect cognitive function as well. Walnuts are high in omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants. Eating 1 to 1.5 oz of walnuts daily can have a beneficial effect on brain function.
These research findings are great strides in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease. The practical benefit of these studies is that they all point to actions that anyone can take to reduce their risk of developing this debilitating disease. So exercise plenty, drink tea, get more vitamin D and eat walnuts daily!
