Surrey Homes | SH33 | July 2017 | Interiors supplement inside

Health
The power
of the mind
Julie Simpson looks at new research
showing that lifestyle changes can
reverse cognitive decline
istockphoto.com/jacoblund
All the older women in my family
– my mother, her mother and
both her sisters – suffered from
dementia in their last years. They were all
in their 80s and 90s before the symptoms
showed, but it is a cruel illness however
long and good your life has been.
So, as a sixty-year-old with a lot of
dementia in my family, it’s great to hear
of any progress in the battle to fight
this horrible disease which affects 30
million people globally and is expected
to rise to 160 million by 2050.
Drugs take a long time to develop
and dementia is a complex nut to crack
as it’s now thought to have a variety
of causes. So, while we wait and hope
for a magic pill to stem the tide, some
recent research showing that lifestyle
changes can reverse cognitive decline
feels like a breakthrough. Even better,
if the research is correct, then making
the changes used by the researchers
could prevent the brain changes that
bring about serious problems later.
Admittedly, the trail was small: the
Center for Alzheimer’s Disease Research
and Buck Institute for Research on
Aging at the University of California
put ten patients exhibiting memory
loss due to Alzheimer’s or dementia
on a holistic therapeutic programme.
After 3-6 months nine of them
showed significant improvements in
memory – and astonishingly, six of
the nine were able to return to work.
The programme was built around
four things: optimising diet, getting
plenty of exercise, having 8 hours
sleep a night and reducing stress.
Patients taking part in the research
also had their diet supplemented
with vitamins and minerals and were
screened for heavy metal toxicity but,
for the process of prevention, these
four ingredients – sleep, exercise, stress
reduction and stress management
– seem like a good place to start.
This is how it was done
Sleep: patients were told to get 7-8
hours sleep which is needed to repair the
body and restore the mind. Researchers
included a 12-hour food fast at night,
with supper being eaten three hours
before bedtime, to reduce insulin levels.
Diet: patients were put on plant-based
diets, eliminating carbohydrates, gluten
and processed food. They ate non-farmed
fish and avoided ‘inflammatory’ foods
like red meat, coffee, alcohol and dairy.
Stress: patients did stress busting
techniques comprising a daily meditation
or mindfulness practice plus yoga classes.
Exercise: optimum exercise
involved fast walking, swimming
or cycling for 30-60 minutes a
day, four to six days a week.
As a blueprint for a healthy life it’s
all good common sense and – aside
from some dietary challenges - pretty
straightforward to put into place. It’s
also cheaper than taking a pill and
has far fewer side effects. According
to Dale Bredesen, who authored the
research, it is noteworthy that the
major side effect of this therapeutic
system is improved health and
optimal BMI (body mass index).
I think I can live with that.
To read Dale Bredesen’s reasearch visit
aging-us.com/article/100690/text
125 wealdentimes.co.uk