Particularly in Alzheimer's disease (AD), the green tea catechin polyphenols have been reported to have neuroprotective effects such as anti-oxidative stress, anti-inflammation, inhibition of amyloid-beta aggregation, and anti-apoptosis [5,6].
In conclusion, moderate consumption of tea was significantly associated with a reduced risk of dementia, suggesting that tea consumption could be a modifiable lifestyle factor for dementia.
Teas like green tea and peppermint tea contain compounds that can help stimulate neurotransmitters to improve memory recall. These teas can also help boost energy and alertness, thus promoting better overall brain health.
In Alzheimer's disease, as neurons are injured and die throughout the brain, connections between networks of neurons may break down, and many brain regions begin to shrink. By the final stages of Alzheimer's, this process—called brain atrophy—is widespread, causing significant loss of brain volume.
Aducanumab is the only disease-modifying medication currently approved to treat Alzheimer's. This medication is a human antibody, or immunotherapy, that targets the protein beta-amyloid and helps to reduce amyloid plaques, which are brain lesions associated with Alzheimer's.
Right now, there is no cure for Alzheimer's disease. Once a person starts showing signs – memory loss and problems with learning, judgment, communication, and daily life -- there aren't any treatments that can stop or reverse them. But there are medicines that can ease some of the symptoms in some people.
According to the Alzheimer's Research and Prevention Foundation, regular physical exercise can reduce your risk of developing Alzheimer's disease by up to 50 percent. What's more, exercise can also slow further deterioration in those who have already started to develop cognitive problems.
Scientists believe that for most people, Alzheimer's disease is caused by a combination of genetic, lifestyle and environmental factors that affect the brain over time. Less than 1% of the time, Alzheimer's is caused by specific genetic changes that virtually guarantee a person will develop the disease.
Green tea
As is the case with coffee, the caffeine in green tea boosts brain function. In fact, it has been found to improve alertness, performance, memory, and focus ( 75 ). But green tea also has other components that make it a brain-healthy beverage.
Though tea is lower in caffeine, it's rich in L-theanine, a powerful antioxidant that also stimulates your brain ( 49 , 50 ). Unlike caffeine, L-theanine may provide anti-stress effects by increasing your brain's alpha waves, which help you calm down and relax ( 51 ).
Drinking camomile tea could help to treat sufferers of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, a medical expert has claimed. Writing in the Guardian, Dr Tom Smith said that camomile tea contains luteolin, which is a substance that has been found to reduce inflammatory reactions in the brain.
Rate of progression through Alzheimer's disease stages
Untreated vascular risk factors such as hypertension are associated with a faster rate of progression of Alzheimer's disease. Pneumonia is a common cause of death because impaired swallowing allows food or beverages to enter the lungs, where an infection can begin.
Regular physical exercise may be a beneficial strategy to lower the risk of Alzheimer's and vascular dementia. Exercise may directly benefit brain cells by increasing blood and oxygen flow in the brain.
Offer vegetables, fruits, whole grains, low-fat dairy products and lean protein foods. Limit foods with high saturated fat and cholesterol. Some fat is essential for health — but not all fats are equal. Go light on fats that are bad for heart health, such as butter, solid shortening, lard and fatty cuts of meats.
Certain fruits such as oranges, bell peppers, guava, kiwi, tomatoes, and strawberries, contain high amounts of vitamin C. Vitamin C helps prevent brain cells from becoming damaged and supports overall brain health. In fact, a study found that vitamin C can potentially prevent Alzheimer's.
"The most convincing evidence is that physical exercise helps prevent the development of Alzheimer's or slow the progression in people who have symptoms," says Dr. Marshall. "The recommendation is 30 minutes of moderately vigorous aerobic exercise, three to four days per week."
Studies show that people who are physically active are less likely to experience a decline in their mental function and have a lowered risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. Physical activity is one of the known modifiable risk factors for dementia.
Alzheimer's disease is thought to be caused by the abnormal build-up of proteins in and around brain cells. One of the proteins involved is called amyloid, deposits of which form plaques around brain cells. The other protein is called tau, deposits of which form tangles within brain cells.
Shenk: Alzheimer's is a progressive disease. It never goes into remission. It always advances to a stage of more and more confusion. At a certain point, every patient is vulnerable to manipulation, abuse, theft, etc.