The human brain contains 100 billion nerve cells, each communicating with many others so that we can hear, learn, remember, see, smell, and think. Like tiny factories, brain cells take in supplies, generate energy, build needed equipment, and dispose of wastes. In Alzheimer’s disease (AD), however, parts of these cellular factories begin experiencing backups or breakdowns. As damage spreads, brain cells fail to perform needed tasks, and eventually, they may die.

A progressive brain disease, AD afflicts as many as five million Americans. Others may suffer from reduced blood flow to parts of the brain, known as vascular dementia. While these conditions currently have no cure, we can all take steps to prevent or slow memory loss.

Use It or Lose It
Physical activity helps oxygenate your body, increases the production of neurotransmitters (chemical messenger between brain cells), and reduces damage to these cells. A recent randomized trial of older adults who reported memory problems (but did not suffer from dementia) finds that those who exercised improved their cognitive skills, while those who didn’t showed cognitive losses.

Similarly, putting our brain cells through their paces can cut the incidence of Alzheimer’s in half. At any age, take or teach a class. Learning a new language, for example, stimulates you to think in a way you don’t ordinarily, increasing your reserve of brain cells. Similarly, playing computer games, tackling new software or a computer operating system, learning to play a musical instrument, doing crossword puzzles or Sudoku, reading, and taking dance lessons all stimulate the brain in meaningful ways. Rumination, or the tendency toward repetitive thinking when confronted with problems at home or at work, also appears to lower the risk for AD.

Other Factors
Swedish research finds that social interaction at midlife helps protect against cognitive impairment later. “Living in a couple[s] relationship is normally one of the most intense forms of social and intellectual stimulation,” says researcher Krister Hakansson at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm. But an active social life and group activities appear useful, as well.

Depression in women and stroke in men are risk factors, according to French research, indicating that AD risk factors may sometimes be gender-specific. Men undergoing hormone deprivation to keep prostate cancer in check also appear to suffer memory loss and have trouble concentrating, a recent study in the journal Cancer reports. Genes are a factor in one type of early-onset AD, a rare form of Alzheimer’s. Also, people with Down syndrome (genetically based) may be more likely to develop AD.

Health status plays an important role in staying mentally sharp. Metabolic syndrome, characterized by abdominal obesity; low HDL (healthy) cholesterol; and elevated blood pressure, blood sugar, and triglycerides, raises the risk of AD as well as Type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and stroke. Regardless of blood pressure, body-mass index, cholesterol levels, or education, 50 year-old men with low insulin are nearly one-and-a-half times as likely to suffer from AD as those without insulin disorders. “It’s possible that insulin problems damage blood vessels in the brain, which leads to memory problems and Alzheimer’s disease,” says Elina Ronnemaa, MD, at Sweden’s Uppsala University. Arteriosclerosis, very high blood pressure, and head injury have also been linked to AD.

Finally, exposure to heavy metals, particularly when combined with a lack of micronutrients, may also predispose a person to Alzheimer’s. Aluminum and mercury are prime culprits. Recent research suggests that aluminum above 100 micrograms per liter in drinking water may be a risk factor for AD and dementia. But no official limit currently exists.

Smart Diet & Supplements
A healthy, whole-foods diet that fights heart disease and Type 2 diabetes helps protect against AD. Enjoy plenty of brightly colored fruits and vegetables, and avoid fried and junk foods, cured and smoked meats, and trans fats.
“Given that the brain is 60 percent fat and given the wealth of research on the value of omega-3 fatty acids in the brain (and beyond),” Alan C. Logan, ND, FRSH, recommends deep-water fish and fish oil supplements. Not only does DHA in fish help prevent brain cell damage in animal studies, but it also appears to slow mental damage in Alzheimer’s.

Found in numerous studies to increase alertness while improving memory and mood, ginkgo (G. biloba) appears to boost omega-3 levels in red blood cells. “Ginkgo is probably most effective as a preventative plant,” says Dr. Logan. Despite studies showing that ginkgo helps with dementia, the improvements are not huge, he adds.

“Extracts of turmeric (Curcuma longa L.), like those of garlic (Allium sativum) and ginger (Zingiber officinale), contain a number of natural agents that block the formation of beta-amyloid, the substance responsible for the plaques that slowly obstruct cerebral function in Alzheimer’s disease,” writes James A. Duke, PhD, in a recent study. “In India, where these three Ayurvedic herbs are a regular part of the diet, the epidemiologic magnitude of Alzheimer’s disease in notably lower than it is in the West,” he adds. In fact, Dr. Duke cites more than 50 published studies on turmeric (and/or curcumin) for AD, compared to only 31 for Celebrex. A surprisingly low dose of turmeric (160 ppm) is effective.

Acetyl-L-carnitine slows memory loss and reduces the production of free radicals which are damaging to brain cells. Antioxidant vitamin E has also been shown to delay the progression of moderate AD, and a recent study suggests that increased intake of this vitamin improves the survival rate of Alzheimer’s patients. And Canadian research suggests that vitamins C and E help improve memory in older people with Type 2 diabetes.

Brain imaging investigations suggest that daily supplementation with chromium picolinate increase brain activity in older adults experiencing early memory loss and metabolic irregularities that raise the risk of dementia. Boron, which improves brain function and memory, is another “smart” mineral. Zinc deficiency has been linked to the formation of amyloid plaque in Alzheimer’s, so look for this mineral in your daily multivitamin-mineral formula.

Choline, a B vitamin found in lecithin, “is frequently prescribed for the treatment of cognitive impairment in several Europeans countries,” according to antiaging experts Ronald Klatz, MD, DO, and Robert Goldman, MD, PhD, DO, FAASP. When combined with other B-complex vitamins including folate, B6, and B12, choline may help lower homocysteine, an amino acid linked to both AD and cardiovascular disease. Research at Chicago’s Rush Institute of Healthy Aging finds that people low in niacin (vitamin B3) are 70 percent more likely to develop Alzheimer’s than those with higher niacin levels, so look for a well-balanced B-complex in your daily multiple.

Related to lecithin that occurs naturally in the brain, “phosphatidylserine (PS) belongs to a special category of fat-soluble substances called phospholipids, which are essential components of cell membranes,” says Allen S. Josephs, MD. “In people with Alzheimer’s PS has been shown to improve mental function, such as the ability to remember names and to recall the location of misplaced objects,” making PS one of the few known nutrients that may be useful for those with advanced AD.