Lifestyle Alterations To Prevent Dementia

Dementia is a syndrome that causes loss in cognitive function. Typically chronic or progressive in character, this mental illness impairs the memory, reasoning, and social skills of a person and significantly interferes with day-to-day functioning. Memory loss is one of the first symptoms of dementia.

A person becomes more prone to dementia with age. However, Taking certain precautions or making a few alterations in your lifestyle can help you prevent being diagnosed with the disease.

1. Aim for a healthy weight and be physically active:
   Engaging in at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise each week can help you maintain a healthy weight, and drop your chances of getting dementia. It helps in delivering more oxygen to the brain, thus improving memory, among other cognitive functions.
2. Quit Smoking
   Smoking induces and increases oxidative stress and causes inflammation in the blood vessels. Quitting the habit can improve brain cognition by ensuring a healthy flow of blood.
3. Have a Nutritious Diet
   Having a nutritious diet has an array of benefits. It improves blood pressure and regulates the amount of glucose. It may help slow down the cognitive decline that one goes through as years pass by.
4. Avoid Junk Foods
   Junk foods affect the body quite negatively inducing a wide range of ailments. A balanced diet is essential for the body to prevent these problems, including dementia and other similar illnesses.
5. Stay Active
   This goes for both physical and mental aspects of the body. While staying physically active gets covered if you exercise, staying mentally active will need you to put in the extra effort.

Engage in activities that stimulate and touch upon various areas of the brain. Playing games, reading, indulging in social activities, and learning new languages, are some of the things you can try. Try experimenting with them in terms of intensity and frequency.