Dietary Supplements

Researchers have explored whether diet may help preserve cognitive function or reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease (AD). One laboratory study found that curcumin, the main ingredient of turmeric (a bright yellow spice used in curry), can bind to beta-amyloid and prevent oligomer formation (reference). Another study in mice found that diets high in DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), a type of healthy omega-3 fatty acid found in fish, reduced beta-amyloid and plaques in brain tissue (reference).

Intellectually Stimulating Activities

Many older people love to read, do puzzles, play games, and spend time with family and friends. All these activities are fun and help people feel alert and engaged in life. Researchers are beginning to find other possible benefits as well, for some studies have shown that keeping the brain active is associated with reduced AD risk. For example, over a 4-year period, one group of researchers tracked how often a large group of older people did activities that involved significant information processing, such as listening to the radio, reading newspapers, playing puzzle games, and going to museums. The researchers then looked at how many of the participants developed AD. The researchers found that the risk of developing AD was 47 percent lower in the people who did them the most frequently compared with the people who did the activities least frequently. Another study supported the value of lifelong learning and mentally stimulating activity by finding that, compared with older study participants who may have had AD or who had AD, healthy older participants had engaged in more mentally stimulating activities and spent more time at them during their early and middle adulthood. The reasons for these findings are not clear.