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SCMP Series

Decoding dementia

16 of 36

Can lack of sleep raise dementia risk? Yes, studies say, with one exception

Having only five hours of sleep a night can increase dementia risk by 30 per cent for adults over 50, one study says. Photo: Shutterstock

How antidepressants, sleeping pills and other drugs raise dementia risk

Certain common drugs, including antihistamines, antacids, antidepressants and anti-anxiety medicines, can disrupt the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, dubbed the “memory molecule” increasing the risk of dementia. Photo: Shutterstock

‘Use it or lose it’: building ‘cognitive reserve’ keeps dementia at bay

Our brains, like our muscles need regular use to stay healthy and flexible, say experts, and keeping our brains active builds our ‘cognitive reserve’, helping us to stave off dementia. Photo: Shutterstock

Why yoga is a great workout for mind as well as body, helpful for dementia

Yoga has health benefits including better brain neuroplasticity, improved sleep quality, and more robust cardiorespiratory fitness, all of which help people experiencing cognitive decline or dementia. Photo: Shutterstock

5 nutrients good for brain health that can delay dementia, or prevent it

Research has identified some key nutrients we need in our diets to maintain good cognitive function and delay or prevent the onset of dementia. Photo: Shutterstock

Why you have to keep smiling at a dementia patient – they might smile back

Author Anthea Rowan with her mother, who suffered from dementia. As a carer you’ve got to keep smiling, an expert on the condition tells her - and it’s not for the reason you might think. Photo: Anthea Rowan

How dementia causes delusions and why it’s best to play along

Carers often find it challenging to calm a dementia patient down when they suffer from paranoia, hallucinations and delusions. Experts offer advice on what to do. Photo: Shutterstock

‘Sepia galactic storms’: Alzheimer’s amyloid plaques and tau tangles

Amyloid plaques and tau tangles found in Alzheimer’s sufferers’ brains are caused by build-ups of proteins that block electrical messages.
Photo: Shutterstock

5 Alzheimer’s experts’ advice on avoiding or delaying the disease

Lifestyle tips for avoiding or delaying the onset of Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia, include staying active and socially engaged. Photo: Shutterstock

Are you at risk for Alzheimer’s disease? 2 new tests could detect it early

New blood tests developed in Hong Kong and the US deliver an easier, less invasive and more cost-effective way to detect Alzheimer’s disease early. Photo: Shutterstock

> More on this Series

Lifestyle Health & Wellness

5 nutrients good for brain health that can delay dementia, or prevent it, and foods to eat with a high concentration of them

We all know the benefits for our bodies of healthy eating. Now studies suggest our diet should include some key nutrients that help maintain cognitive function
Experts explain how they protect our brains – and the good news is you don’t need to buy supplements to get these nutrients. They are in everyday food items

Wellness

Anthea Rowan

Published: 4:15am, 31 Jul 2023

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This is the 16th instalment in a series on dementia, including the research into its causes and treatment, advice for carers, and stories of hope.

Eating well is important for general health and it can be especially good for our brains. Studies have pointed to specific nutrients that play a big role in supporting brain health and cognition.

Vitamin D

A collaboration between Britain’s University of Exeter and the University of Calgary in Canada found a positive link between vitamin D consumption and dementia prevention.

Eating healthy isn’t just good for our bodies, it’s good for our brains, too. Photo: Shutterstock

The study found a diet deficient in vitamin D was linked to an increase in the risk of dementia. People with genetic deficiencies in vitamin D are more likely to get Alzheimer’s disease, according to Zahinoor Ismail, of the O’Brien Institute for Public Health at the University of Calgary.

Vitamin D supplementation was linked with a 33 per cent lower incidence of dementia over 10 years, says study co-author Dr Byron Creese, a senior lecturer in neuroscience at Exeter University.

Zahinoor Ismail, of the O’Brien Institute for Public Health at the University of Calgary. Photo: University of Calgary

“We think that earlier intervention, that is taking [vitamin D supplements] before cognitive changes occur, is better,” Creese says.

Why might vitamin D provide protection against dementia?

Vitamin D helps prevent the formation of beta-amyloid plaques and tau tangles, “the hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease”, Ismail says.

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Vitamin D also reduces oxidative stress and inflammation, both of which are linked to dementia.

Magnesium

Magnesium plays a vital role in many physiological processes, including brain function.

Khawlah Alateeq, a PhD candidate at the Australia National University College of Health and Medicine, was part of a team that conducted a study into the value of magnesium in promoting cognitive health.

Research has already shown that low magnesium intake may be associated with a higher risk of developing dementia later. Alateeq’s team’s motivation for the study was to investigate whether there was a link between magnesium intake and brain volume in a large, diverse population.

The study involved 6,000 cognitively healthy adults between the ages of 40 and 73. It found that those who consumed more than 550 milligrams of magnesium daily showed a brain age of around a year younger by the time they were 55 compared with someone with the average magnesium intake of roughly 350 milligrams a day.

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The research indicated higher magnesium intake could lead to less age-related brain shrinkage, which in turn is associated with better cognitive function and a lower risk – or later onset – of dementia.

Magnesium helps regulate neurotransmitters, chemicals that transmit signals between nerve cells.

It also plays a role in regulating the activity of receptors that control the flow of ions into and out of cells, affecting neurons’ electrical activity, Alateeq says. Think of it as supporting the electrical circuitry and signalling system of the brain.

‘Use it or lose it’: building ‘cognitive reserve’ keeps dementia at bay

“Magnesium is also involved in many biochemical reactions that are important for brain function, such as DNA synthesis and energy production. So adequate magnesium intake is essential for optimal brain health and cognitive function,” she adds.

The study, which focused on magnesium sourced from a person’s diet, as opposed to supplements from a bottle, found the requirements were not especially high and could be met through a healthy and balanced diet.

Foods that are rich in magnesium include dark leafy greens like spinach and kale; nuts and seeds; whole grains such as brown rice, quinoa and oatmeal; and some fish, especially salmon and mackerel.

Oatmeal, and other wholegrain foods such as brown rice and quinoa, are rich in magnesium. Photo: Shutterstock

Potassium and calcium

Other nutrients that have similar brain-protecting properties include potassium and calcium, Alateeq says, based on previous research by her laboratory.

Calcium is important for healthy bones and teeth, but it also plays a role in muscle function and nerve transmission. “Studies have also indicated that higher calcium intake could be associated with better cognitive function,” Alateeq says.

Potassium, which is an electrolyte that regulates fluid balance in the body, plays a critical role in nerve and muscle function. Alateeq says studies suggest that “higher potassium intake may be linked to better cognitive function and a reduced risk of cognitive decline in older adults”.

Mackerel is a fish that is especially high in magnesium. Photo: Shutterstock

Vitamin B

A number of studies suggest that vitamin B and its eight variants – B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, B9 and B12 – have important neuro-protective properties.

One study found that vitamin B12 (cobalamin) may help lower the level of an amino acid in the blood called homocysteine, which has been linked to negative effects on the brain, including Alzheimer’s disease.

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B12 is found in foods such as fish, eggs and meat, and can be taken as a supplement. It is important for the formation of red blood cells and DNA and plays a key role in the function and development of brain and nerve cells.

Another study cited the importance of B9 (folate) in preserving cognitive health. It found that elderly people were inclined to have diets very low in B vitamins, especially folate.

Folate was deemed so valuable in protecting older people’s brains that researchers suggested there should be broad public health measures to improve awareness of its place in diets, as it could serve as a low-cost weapon in the fight against dementia.

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