Vitamin C has been shown to reduce your risk of Alzheimer's disease by 20% when taken with vitamin E. To take advantage of its fullest benefits, you should take a dose of 2,000 mg of vitamin C per day.
But it's also available over the counter as a supplement. There's a link between vitamin D and Alzheimer's. A number of studies have shown that people with Alzheimer's have low vitamin D levels. One study found people with very low vitamin D were twice as likely to have Alzheimer's.
Research has also linked high intake of omega-3s to a possible reduction in risk of dementia or cognitive decline. The chief omega-3 in the brain is DHA, which is found in the fatty membranes that surround nerve cells, especially at the microscopic junctions where cells connect to one another.
Exposure to vitamin D was associated with significantly higher dementia-free survival, compared to no exposure (Figure 2A). The 5-year survival for D− was 68.4% (95% CI: 67.1%–69.7%), while for D+ it was 83.6% (95% CI: 82.3%–84.9%). MCI was associated with lower dementia-free survival than NC, as expected.
Stay mentally and socially active. Engaging in mental or social activities may help to build up your brain's ability to cope with disease, relieve stress and improve your mood. This means doing these activities may help to delay, or even prevent, dementia from developing.
Vitamin D also plays an important role in neurodegenerative processes. Its deficiency is a genetic risk factor for AD, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, and vascular dementia [45].
Vitamin B12 and Folic Acid: Being deficient in both Vitamin B12 and folic acid is common in those with dementia and Alzheimer's disease. Taken together, these two supplements can help lower the levels of an amino acid in the blood that is often linked to dementia.
Zinc is one of the minerals that can help hold off the onset of dementia or Alzheimer's. In most studies, zinc has been shown to improve mental capacity in elders. And most older people and those with dementia and other mental disorders have been found to be deficient in zinc.
Vitamins B6 and B12
One research study showed that taking a combination of vitamins B12, B6, and folic acid over two years slowed the shrinkage of the brain.
"Our study shows a 41 per cent increase in magnesium intake could lead to less age-related brain shrinkage, which is associated with better cognitive function and lower risk or delayed onset of dementia in later life," lead author and PhD researcher Khawlah Alateeq, from the ANU National Centre for Epidemiology and ...
Several studies have been conducted to establish the link between vitamin B12 and Alzheimer's symptoms. Some associate low B12 levels with both the symptoms of Alzheimer's and actual atrophy (shrinkage) of the brain.
This finding can be the basis of a hypothesis that chronic, very low levels of vitamin B12 could be the cause of permanent, or at least refractory, changes in cognition and memory, which can lead to dementia.
Increasing Vitamin B 12 can slow down cognitive decline. We do not recommend routine B12 supplementation. But immediate supplementation is necessary for an individual who has imbalance or anaemia due to B12 deficiency to avoid further complications such as dementia.
High levels of iron were first reported in the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease in 1953. Since that time it has been shown that iron, as well as zinc and copper are associated with the hallmark Alzheimer's proteins amyloid and tau in the brain.
BLOG: Vitamin D Deficiency & Mortality
While there are many forms of dementia, Alzheimer's disease is the most common, contributing up to 70% of the cases.
Magnesium threonate may help boost circulating magnesium levels. As it effectively raises magnesium levels in brain cells, it could reduce an individual's risk of dementia and other age-related diseases.
Low vitamin D levels were linked with an increased risk of both dementia and stroke over the following 11 years. Based on this observational study, people with low vitamin D levels were found to have a 54% greater chance of developing dementia compared with people whose levels were normal.
The causes probably include a combination of age-related changes in the brain, along with genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors.
The greatest known risk factor for Alzheimer's and other dementias is increasing age, but these disorders are not a normal part of aging. While age increases risk, it is not a direct cause of Alzheimer's. Most individuals with the disease are 65 and older. After age 65, the risk of Alzheimer's doubles every five years.
People who regularly eat a lot of highly processed foods and drinks like cheeseburgers, chips, fried chicken, sausage, pizza, biscuits and sugary sodas are at increased risk of developing dementia, according to a new report.