Can You Prevent Alzheimer’s? Tips For Prolonging Brain Health


Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia (1). This degenerative disease is characterized by memory loss that progresses to cognitive impairment and eventually failure to communicate and loss of function. This Alzheimer’s & Brain Awareness Month (June), we hope to inspire you to live healthier and decrease your risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. In this post you’ll find whether Alzheimer’s is preventable, what you can do to keep your brain healthy as you age, and which Approved Science supplements to consider for enhancing your brain health.

What Is Alzheimer’s Disease And How Does It Work?

Before we can answer whether or not Alzheimer’s is preventable, we need to understand what Alzheimer’s disease is on a physical level. This will help you to understand which prevention methods may be able to help and why.

Let’s imagine your brain is a big city. In this city, there are lots of roads, cars, and traffic signals that help everyone get where they need to go. In your brain, the roads are like neural pathways that help carry messages around, the cars are the messages (nerve signals), and the traffic signals in the intersections (synapses) make sure everything runs smoothly.

Now, in a healthy brain, all the roads are clear, the cars are moving smoothly, and the traffic signals are working. This enables cognitive functions like memory retention, problem-solving, and learning.

But in a brain with Alzheimer’s disease, some things start to go wrong:

  1. Roadblocks (Plaques): Tiny bits of a protein called beta-amyloid start to clump together and form plaques. These plaques build up between the nerve cells (like the cars) and block the roads, making it harder for messages to get through.
  2. Tangles (Twisted Tau): Inside the nerve cells, another protein called tau starts to get all tangled up. These tangles mess up the cell’s ability to transport messages and nutrients, causing the cells to die.
  3. Broken Traffic Signals: As more and more nerve cells get blocked or tangled, the intersections (synapses) between the cells stop working correctly. This makes it hard for different parts of the brain to communicate with each other.

As a result of these problems, the brain has trouble doing its job. People with Alzheimer’s might forget things, have trouble finding the right words, get confused easily, and even have changes in their mood and behavior.

Think of it like the city’s roads getting more and more blocked, cars not being able to move, and the traffic signals going out one by one. Eventually, the city can’t function properly, which is similar to how the brain struggles with Alzheimer’s disease.

Is Alzheimer’s Disease Preventable?

Unfortunately, scientists have yet to find a way to prevent or cure Alzheimer’s disease. This is largely because the pathology of Alzheimer’s disease is not fully understood. However, researchers have found some early indicators and risk factors for Alzheimer’s dementia. These include:

  1. Genetics – A small population of Alzheimer’s sufferers have a genetic mutation that leads to this type of cognitive decline (2). More research is underway to find a way to reduce the risk in individuals with this gene.
  2. Cardiovascular Disease – Having high blood pressure, diabetes, or high cholesterol is highly correlated with Alzheimer’s disease. It’s estimated that 80% of individuals with Alzheimer’s also have cardiovascular complications (2).
  3. Head Trauma – Traumatic brain injuries, especially those that cause loss of consciousness, are linked to a greater risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease (2).

What Are Some Brain Healthy Habits That Can Help Reduce The Risk Of Alzheimer’s Disease?

The best chance you have of reducing your risk for Alzheimer’s disease is to lead a healthy lifestyle. This includes, in no particular order, exercising, protecting your heart health, eating a balanced diet (including supplements when necessary), getting sufficient quality sleep, managing stress, challenging your brain, and staying socially connected.

1. Regular Physical Activity

Engaging in regular physical activity is one of the most effective ways to protect your brain health. Exercise increases blood flow to the brain and encourages neuroplasticity (3). Activities like walking, swimming, cycling, and even gardening can promote brain health.

2. Heart Health

Since cardiovascular health is closely linked to brain health, maintaining a healthy heart can help protect your brain. Managing blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and blood sugar through diet, exercise, and medications (when necessary) can reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. Quitting smoking and limiting alcohol intake are also important steps for heart and brain health.

3. Social Engagement

Staying socially connected is another important aspect of brain health. Social interactions stimulate multiple parts of the brain, help reduce stress, and combat depression. Joining clubs, volunteering, and maintaining close relationships with family and friends can provide the necessary social engagement to keep your brain healthy.

4. Quality Sleep

Getting sufficient quality sleep is essential for brain function. During sleep, the brain clears out toxins and consolidates memories. Chronic sleep deprivation can lead to the buildup of beta-amyloid plaques, one of the markers of Alzheimer’s. Aim for 7-9 hours of sleep per night and establish a regular sleep routine.

Natural ingredients to help you sleep better.

5. Mental Stimulation

Challenging your brain with new and stimulating activities can help build up cognitive capacity. Learning a new language, playing musical instruments, solving puzzles, and reading are great ways to keep your brain active. Engaging in lifelong learning and mental challenges can strengthen the connections between brain cells and potentially delay the onset of Alzheimer’s symptoms.

6. Stress Management

Practicing deep breathing and other stress management techniques can help maintain brain health. Chronic stress can lead to increased levels of cortisol, a hormone that can damage the brain over time. Techniques such as meditation, yoga, and mindfulness can help reduce stress and improve overall mental health.

7. Diet And Supplements

Antioxidant-rich foods such as blueberries, leafy greens, and turmeric (due to its curcumin content) have demonstrated cognitive benefits (4). Additionally, broccoli, pumpkin seeds, dark chocolate, and walnuts may be beneficial for brain health (5).

Green Tea

A 2023 study found that Green Tea contains a molecule (EGCG) that breaks apart tangles of tau protein that occurs during Alzheimer’s (6). When tau is tangled inside of brain cells, it messes up the cell’s ability to transport messages and nutrients, causing the cells to die. Therefore, Green Tea may potentially help to reduce nerve death caused by tangles of tau. However, there is no guarantee that the EGCG you receive from Green Tea will go straight to the nerve cells in need (6). This is because EGCG does not easily cross the blood-brain barrier and it also binds to other proteins. Nevertheless, this antioxidant is associated with other neuro-protective properties and can provide a large array of health benefits, including helping to reduce the risk of heart disease, which is one of the risk factors of Alzheimer’s disease.

(The discovery that EGCG can untangle tau has sparked new research to find molecules that can do the same, but more reliably, to prevent brain cell death from tau tangles.)

>>>Add Approved Science® Green Tea To Your Supplement Regimen

Fish And Omegas

There are conflicting findings about whether or not Omega-3 fatty acid, typically found in fish, can help reduce the risk of or slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease (4). On the one hand, an animal study found that Omega-3 supplementation reduced amyloid-β plaques in the brain (7). (Remember that a buildup of plaque between nerves is one of the complications that causes cognitive decline in Alzheimer’s disease.) Similarly, a small study found that Omega-3 supplementation improved memory in individuals with mild cognitive impairment. On the other hand, a different, larger study found that Omega-3 supplementation did not slow cognitive decline (4).

Whether Omega-3 helps prevent Alzheimer’s or not, there’s no denying that this essential fatty acid is chock full of health benefits. Omega-3 has been studied for its positive effects on cardiovascular health (a risk factor of Alzheimer’s), cognitive function, joint health, eye health, sleep, and lung health.

>>>Check Out Our Ultimate Guide To Omega-3!

Vitamin D3

While there is no evidence that Vitamin D counteracts the effects of cognitive impairment, – and supplementation may even exacerbate symptoms (8) – studies suggest that Vitamin D deficiency is associated with an increased risk of developing cognitive impairment (9). It’s estimated that around half of the US population has insufficient Vitamin D levels and around 1 billion people worldwide have a deficiency (10). Vitamin D is an important vitamin that affects bone strength, menstruation, the immune system, mood, and fibromyalgia.

Supplements

NMN – NMN stands for nicotinamide mononucleotide and is a precursor of NAD+, which is involved in various processes in the brain. NMN has been shown to “reduce the brain features of Alzheimer’s disease, including neuroinflammation, mitochondrial abnormalities, synaptic dysfunction, and cognitive impairment” (11). Due to its ability to boost NAD+ levels, NMN supplementation has also been associated with a reduction in beta-amyloid plaque, which is one of the hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease (12).

>>>Learn More & Buy Approved Science® NMN For 10% Off

Memorysyl™ – There are many brain health supplements out there that combine clinically researched ingredients for promoting neuroplasticity, boosting cognitive function, and protecting memory. For example, our Memorysyl™ supplement provides Lion’s Mane Mushroom which has been found to boost neuronal growth factor, B vitamins whose deficiencies are linked to neurological damage, Bacopa Monnieri to help repair damaged nerves, and additional ingredients for enhancing memory.

Neurexil™ – Our nootropic supplement, Neurexil™, is designed to increase concentration, enhance memory, and boost energy. It contains key ingredients such as Ginkgo Biloba and B vitamins to increase blood flow to the brain, Huperzine A and Bacopa Monnieri to support working memory, and Guarana and ALA to boost cognitive energy.

>>>Learn More About THe Nootropic Benefits Of Neurexil™!

Conclusion

Unfortunately, there is no way to guarantee that you don’t develop Alzheimer’s disease as there is still much to be discovered about the disease. The tips we suggested may help to reduce your risk but they cannot eradicate it entirely. At this point in time, there is no proven way to prevent Alzheimer’s disease. Nevertheless, adopting the brain healthy habits laid out in this blog post can help you to lead a healthier life and experience better quality of life as you age.

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