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If you are concerned about developing Alzheimer’s disease, the best thing to do is to have a healthy lifestyle. Eat a balanced diet and exercise regularly to keep your body, including your brain’s nerve cells, in shape. Studies suggest that highly educated or mentally active older people are less likely to fall prey to this debilitating disease. If possible, avoid cigarette smoke and air pollution. Avoiding these substances minimises your exposure to free radicals (highly reactive molecules) that have been implicated in the formation of plaques.

Vitamin E has been shown to delay disease progression in the later stages of Alzheimer's disease and this effect can be ascribed to the anti-oxidant properties of this vitamin. Some centres recommend a dose of 400 IU per day as a possible preventative measure.

Do not limit your daily intake of zinc in accordance with the theory that explores a link between this mineral and Alzheimer’s disease. Zinc is an important mineral and although you should not take an overdose of it, restricting your intake to below the recommended daily allowance (15 mg for men and 12 mg for women) will do more harm than good.

Recent studies have highlighted a link between oestrogen and Alzheimer's disease, suggesting that this hormone may have a protective effect against Alzheimer's disease in that it may help preserve and even stimulate the production of acetylcholine, a chemical that helps to transmit messages in the brain. It seems that women who took oestrogen in the past or who are taking it have a lower risk of developing the disease than other women have.

Reviewed by Dr Frans Hugo, MBChB, M.Med Psychiatry.

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For more information visit: Dementia SA: http://www.dementiasa.org/ or Alzheimer’s South Africa: http://www.alzheimers.org.za/
 

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