WASHINGTON 鈥� The number of Americans living with Alzheimer鈥檚 disease is on the rise.
Currently, more than 5 million Americans have it, and by 2050, that number is expected to reach 16 million, costing the nation an estimated $1.1 trillion in related expenses, the reports.
There is no cure for this form of dementia that stands as the sixth leading cause of death in the U.S. 鈥� at least not in pill form. But , a physician and affiliate clinical associate professor at the University of South Florida, said there are ways to prevent memory loss and improve cognitive function as we age.
In his new book, 鈥�,鈥� Masley sifts through the research and presents a five-step plan for better brain health. Much of the focus revolves around lowering blood sugar levels and minimizing the risk of developing insulin resistance, which Masley () pinpoints as 鈥渢he number one cause of accelerated memory loss.鈥�
He explained that insulin is the hormone in charge of signaling to our cells to store energy from the food we eat. When the cells grow full, they become resistant to insulin鈥檚 message and brain cells are no longer able to bring energy to the cell to be stored.
鈥淲hile your cells grow fat, your brain shuts down. We literally turn off our brain when blood sugar levels in the brain are high. It shuts off and we don鈥檛 use energy, and the brain cells aren鈥檛 just dysfunctional, they start to die,鈥� said Masley, adding that 50 percent of all baby boomers and 30 percent of all adults are insulin resistant.
鈥淚f we just fixed insulin resistance and blood sugar control, we could eliminate at least 60 percent of all memory loss today.鈥�
Diet and exercise play an important role in reducing one’s risk for developing insulin resistance, and both are key components to Masley鈥檚 five-step program. Combined with managing stress, avoiding toxins and adding in nutrients, Masley found patients to improve brain function by 25 to 30 percent.
鈥淭heir brain literally gets faster, quicker, they鈥檙e more productive, and we鈥檙e helping prevent memory loss,鈥� he said.
1. Eat a diet rich in brain-boosting foods
A diet full of refined sugars and artificial ingredients won鈥檛 do your brain any favors. Masley said food is 鈥渞eally the essence of the good decisions we make.鈥� Choose foods loaded with pigments, such as berries, cherries and green, leafy vegetables.
鈥淚f you eat 1 cup of green leafies a day, your brain is 11 years younger than someone who doesn鈥檛 eat them,鈥� Masley said.
Dark chocolate, tea, wine and coffee 鈥� all in moderation 鈥� are also proven to help, as are foods that Masley calls 鈥渟mart fats鈥� (nuts, avocados and fish).
鈥淚 think the data is very strong, conclusive in fact, that a smart-fat diet is better than a low-fat diet,鈥� he said.
2. Strong body, strong brain
The number one predictor of improving brain performance and speed? According to Masley, it鈥檚 fitness. Interestingly, it鈥檚 not the number of minutes you spend on a treadmill or in a yoga class that matters 鈥� it鈥檚 your overall aerobic performance. Strength training and muscle fitness is another important component.
鈥淓ven 80-year-olds have been shown to increase the memory-center size of the brain by adding an exercise routine,鈥� Masley said.
3. Manage stress
Not all stress is bad. In fact, Masley said a certain amount is a good thing.
鈥淚 like stress because it gives us purpose and challenge, but what if you鈥檙e chronically stressed every day, and you鈥檙e stressed out and you鈥檙e not managing it? I think that鈥檚 the key.鈥�
He explained stress that’s not managed leads to high cortisol levels, and if those levels remain elevated for an extended time, you lose muscle mass, bone mass and the brain shrinks.
Both exercise and sleep help to keep stress level low, and so does meditation.
鈥淢editation is really powerful and it doesn鈥檛 even have to be that long,鈥� Masley said. 鈥淭en minutes a day is super effective in lowering cortisol levels and helping protect your brain.鈥�
4. Up your intake of nutrients
Adding a few essential nutrients into your daily routine can make a noticeable difference in your ability to focus and think clearly, Masley said. One such nutrient is vitamin D.
鈥淔or 100,000 years we got it from sunlight, but almost nobody runs around naked all day long in the sun anymore,鈥� said Masley, who recommends taking 2,000 international units a day via a supplement.
Magnesium can be found in nuts, seeds and green, leafy vegetables, but Masley said 70 percent of people don鈥檛 get enough of it. Probiotics and B vitamins are two others he recommends.
5. Avoid specific brain toxins
Toxins such as tobacco, nitrosamines (chemicals used in processed meats), pesticides and mercury are on Masley鈥檚 list of substances to avoid. And while one to two servings of red wine can help protect the brain, excessive alcohol use will damage it.
If you鈥檙e concerned about your brain, Masley said don鈥檛 wait until you start to notice a decline before you do something about it.
鈥淚t鈥檚 never too early to start and it鈥檚 never too late,鈥� he said.
鈥淲hy wouldn鈥檛 you want a better brain? Who wouldn鈥檛 want to be sharper, quicker, more productive, less forgetful and to prevent the scariest disease in America today, Alzheimer’s disease?鈥�
