According to the Alzheimer’s Society, 225,000 people in the UK will develop dementia this year, equating to one person every three minutes. One in six people over 80 have dementia, while over 40,000 people under the age of 65 have it. “Despite tens of billions of pounds of funding and more than 200 clinical studies looking for a ‘wonder drug’, we are still at least a decade away from having more pharmaceutical weapons in our armoury,” said Dr Jamie Wilson, dementia specialist and founder of live-in care platform hometouch. “However, there are some simple lifestyle interventions that can can actually improve our brain health over time – boosting our cognitive ability and strengthening our minds.”
There are some simple lifestyle interventions that can can actually improve our brain health over time – boosting our cognitive ability and strengthening our minds
Dr Jamie Wilson
Dr Wilson provides his five top lifestyle tips to help prevent the onset of dementia.
Improve your diet
Sugar and saturated fat are “bad news” for brain health, so cut back on biscuits and refined carbohydrates. Instead, try to up your consumption of healthy fats.
“Sixty per cent of the brain is composed of fat and should be made from essential fatty acids including omega 3 and omega 6,” said Dr Wilson.
Good foods for brain health can be found in the Mediterranean diet, which is rich in fruit, vegetables and fish. Try cutting down on meat and eat more plant-based meals.
There is no cure for dementia (Image: Getty Images)
Look after your body
“Exercise is as good for the brain as it is for the body,” according to Dr Wilson, as it boosts blood flow to the brain, delivering
