100 Simple Things You Can Do to Prevent Alzheimer's and Age-Related Memory Loss

235 Pages·2010·0.88 MB·English

by  Jean Carper

Copyright
Copyright © 2010 Jean Carper All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the
U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced,
distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database
or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
Little, Brown and Company
Hachette Book Group
237 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017
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First eBook Edition: September 2010
Little, Brown and Company is a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc.
The Little, Brown name and logo are trademarks of Hachette Book Group, Inc.
ISBN: 978-0-316-12160-6
To my mother, Natella Carper, 1904–2000, an
inspiring spirit who lived ninety-five years without
dementia and a final year with probable vascular
dementia
And to my sisters, Joan Hickson and Judy Stevens,
with whom I share a single copy of the ApoE4
Alzheimer’s susceptibility gene
PUBLISHER’S NOTE
As stated by the author, “On many levels, Alzheimer’s research is an exciting
grab bag of uncertain theories, despite a hard-core center of scientific belief.
Certainty about cause and preventive interventions has not yet been engraved in
stone.” So while this book includes preventive measures based on research by
credentialed investigators, the information and advice contained in this book
should not be interpreted as a definitive way to prevent Alzheimer’s but rather as
a guide to suggested measures that may help prevent Alzheimer’s. This book is
not intended to replace the services of a physician, nor does it constitute a
doctor-patient relationship. Information in this book is provided for
informational purposes only. You should consult your physician or health care
professional regarding your care, in particular, with respect to any symptoms
that may require diagnosis or medical attention. This book was current as of June
2010, and as new data become available through research, experience, or
changes to product contents, some of the information in this book may become
outdated. Any action on your part in response to the information provided in this
book is at your discretion. You should consult your physician or health care
professional concerning any information contained in this book, and follow their
professional advice. The publisher makes no representations or warranties
pertaining to any information contained in this book and is not liable for any
direct or indirect claim, loss, or damage resulting from the use of information
contained in this book.
Please note that the author is not active as an investor, owner, consultant,
writer, or management participant in any nutritional supplement company or
enterprise, and does not profit financially from the promotion or sale of any
nutritional supplements.
nutritional supplements.
CONTENTS
Copyright
Publisher’s Note
Introduction: What to Do While We Wait for a Cure
1. Get Smart About Alcohol
2. Consider Alpha Lipoic Acid and ALCAR
3. Ask Questions About Anesthesia
4. Check Out Your Ankle
5. Don’t Shy Away from Antibiotics
6. Eat Antioxidant-Rich Foods
7. Know About the ApoE4 Gene
8. Drink Apple Juice
9. Beware of Bad Fats
10. Keep Your Balance
11. Eat Berries Every Day
12. Grow a Bigger Brain
13. Control Blood Pressure
14. Get a Quick Blood-Sugar Test
15. Be a Busy Body
16. Don’t Be Afraid of Caffeine
17. Count Calories
18. Watch Out for Celiac Disease
19. Treat Yourself to Chocolate
20. Control Bad Cholesterol
21. Eat Choline-Rich Foods
22. Go Crazy for Cinnamon
23. Say Yes to Coffee
24. Build “Cognitive Reserve”
25. Be Conscientious
26. Keep Copper and Iron Out of Your Brain
27. Eat Curry
28. Try the DASH Diet
29. Overcome Depression
30. Prevent and Control Diabetes
31. Get the Right Diagnosis
32. Know the Early Signs of Alzheimer’s
33. Be Easygoing and Upbeat
34. Get a Higher Education
35. Avoid Environmental Toxins
36. Know the Estrogen Evidence
37. Enjoy Exercise
38. Be an Extrovert
39. Have Your Eyes Checked
40. Know the Dangers of Fast Foods
41. Yes, Yes, Yes—Eat Fatty Fish
42. Take Folic Acid
43. Eat a Low-Glycemic Diet
44. Google Something
45. Raise Your Good HDL Cholesterol
46. Guard Against Head Injury
47. Be Good to Your Heart
48. Keep Homocysteine Normal
49. Avoid Inactivity
50. Try to Keep Infections Away
51. Fight Inflammation
52. Find Good Information
53. Keep Insulin Normal
54. Have an Interesting Job
55. Drink Juices of All Kinds
56. Learn to Love Language
57. Avoid a Leptin Deficiency
58. Don’t Be Lonely
59. Embrace Marriage
60. Know the Dangers of Meat
61. Consider Medical Marijuana
62. Practice Meditation
63. Follow the Mediterranean Diet
64. Recognize Memory Problems
65. Keep Mentally Active
66. Take Multivitamins
67. Build Strong Muscles
68. Take a Nature Hike
69. Do Something New
70. Get Enough Niacin
71. Think About a Nicotine Patch
72. Be Cautious About NSAIDs
73. Go Nuts over Nuts
74. Worry About Middle-Age Obesity
75. Get Help for Obstructive Sleep Apnea
76. Go for Olive Oil
77. Beware of Omega-6 Fat
78. Know Your Plaques and Tangles
79. Have a Purpose in Life
80. Get a Good Night’s Sleep
81. Forget About Smoking
82. Have a Big Social Circle
83. Don’t Forget Your Spinach
84. Investigate Statins
85. Surround Yourself with Stimulation
86. Deal with Stress
87. Avoid Strokes
88. Cut Down on Sugar
89. Drink Tea
90. Take Care of Your Teeth
91. Have Your Thyroid Checked
92. Beware of Being Underweight
93. Prevent Vascular Dementia
94. Play Video Games
95. Put Vinegar in Everything
96. Get Enough Vitamin B
12
97. Don’t Neglect Vitamin D
98. Watch Your Waist
99. Walk, Walk, Walk
100. Make It Wine, Preferably Red
Putting It All Together: Your Anti-Alzheimer’s Plan
Acknowledgments
Alzheimer’s Disease Centers
A Note on Scientific References
About the Author