5 Healthy Habits That Can Cut Your Risk of Alzheimer's

June 13, 2014— -- intro: Diseases that limit our ability to interact with family and friends are particularly difficult. That's what makes Alzheimer's such a devastating disease. Alzheimer's is the most common cause of dementia, a term that describes a set of symptoms which can include loss of memory, mood changes, and problems with communication and reasoning.

More than 5 million Americans are estimated to have Alzheimer’s disease — a number that’s expect to nearly triple by 2050 if there are no significant medical breakthroughs, according to the Alzheimer’s Association.

Scientists don't yet fully understand what causes Alzheimer's disease. Genes play an important role in its development, but there’s new research to suggest that belly fat, too, puts middle-aged people at an increased risk. According to researchers at Rush University Medical Center, the protein responsible for metabolizing fat in the liver is the same protein found in the part of the brain that controls memory and learning. People with higher abdominal fat actually have depleted this fat metabolizing protein, making them 3.6 times as likely to suffer from memory loss and dementia later in life.

How can you Eat It to Beat It? You can help to reduce dangerous belly fat and reduce your risk of Alzheimer's with a healthy diet and regular exercise, and you can also consider these research-suggested tips:

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title: Be patriotic

text: Here's one more reason to support your local farmers and buy organic produce: researchers say exposure to DDT -- a toxin banned in the United States since 1972 but still used as a pesticide in other countries -- may increase the risk and severity of Alzheimer's disease, particularly in those over the age of 60.

In a study published in JAMA Neurology, Rutgers scientists discovered that levels of DDE, the chemical compound left when DDT breaks down, were four times higher in the blood of Alzheimer's disease patients compared to those without the disease. People may be exposed to the toxic pesticide by consuming imported fruits, vegetables and grains where DDT is still being used and eating fish from contaminated waterways. Just one more reason to buy local and organic!

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title: Make midlife matter most

text: If there's one time where diet matters most to preventing your risk of Alzheimer's, midlife is it.

A recent doctoral thesis—the first ever to investigate the relationship between a healthy diet in midlife and the risk of developing dementia later on—suggests making the healthiest dietary choices in your 50s may reduce your risk of dementia years later by almost 90 percent! A Mediterranean diet, one rich in vegetables, berries and fruits, fish and unsaturated fats from nuts, proved to be particularly beneficial. According to researchers, even those who are genetically susceptible to Alzheimer's can at least delay the onset of the disease by reducing intake of saturated fat typical of meat and dairy.

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title: Learn another language

text: Parlez vous Francais?

A recent study published in the journal Neurology shows that speaking a second language may delay the onset of three types of dementia. The study found that people who spoke two languages developed dementia four and a half years later than people who only spoke one language.