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Health and Memory
January 11, 2008 |
At age 73, Baxter Cochran is just starting to notice a slight decline in his memory.
“Most people my age and younger than this still begin to
feel like they’re not remembering
things as well as they were. It’s kind of inconvenient,” says the senior. You may
think there is nothing you can do to prevent memory loss but physicians now
say that’s not necessarily the case. Dr. Michael Raab is a geriatrician with Lee Memorial
Health System. He says, “People that are physically active and get out and do something
that increases their heart rate, gets their body moving for a half hour, four or
five days a week that group of people has a lower rate of developing Alzheimer’s
disease.” Dr. Raab adds that studies have proven that a healthy body usually means
a healthier brain. “Animals that are exercised have four times the rate of new neuron
development seems to also be true in humans. Your brain works by the brain mass
so the thicker the cortex of the brain the better your memory is going to be.” Even
things like your mood can have a lasting effect on your memory. “Depression damages
the area of the brain called the hippocampus which is also the area of the brain
that impacts memory. So people who have untreated depression have a higher rate
of Alzheimer’s,” says Dr. Raab. Unhealthy habits like smoking, drinking alcohol
and eating a high sugar diet can not only be damaging to your heart but can cause
memory loss as well. Foods like vegetables and fruits also provide important things
like micronutrients and vitamin E that promote brain health. |
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