These three good lifestyle habits – if adopted when we’re still in our middle age – can protect against abnormal protein growth that can affect our memory and mental functioning.
Researchers from the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) tested 44 adults aged between 40 and 85, who had suffered some memory problems, but hadn’t been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or dementia. Their diets, exercise levels, body mass index (BMI) – a measure of obesity – and other lifestyle factors were recorded before they had a PET scan of their brain.
The researchers were looking for two types of protein – beta-amyloid plaques and tau protein tangles – which have both been associated with Alzheimer’s.
Although no direct cause-and-effect relationship could be established, the researchers said there was a “moderate but significant” difference between the participants with healthy lifestyles and those who didn’t, and the levels of protein in their brains. Those who regularly exercised and had a normal weight had fewer plaque deposits and tangles. Those who ate a healthy diet – and specifically a Mediterranean diet – also had fewer brain proteins.
The researchers said they were surprised to see the beginnings of Alzheimer’s at the molecular level, and that lifestyle choices seemed to be playing a part in the genesis of the disease.
(Source: American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 2016; pii: S1064-7481)
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