Dementia is a broad category of brain diseases that cause a long-term and often gradual decrease in the ability to think and remember that is severe enough to affect daily functioning. Other common symptoms include emotional problems, difficulties with language, and a decrease in motivation. Consciousness is usually not affected. A diagnosis of dementia requires a change from a person's usual mental functioning and a greater decline than one would expect due to aging. These diseases have a significant ...

dementia

Health-benefits-of-sweet-potatoes-(Ipomoea-batatas)

Health benefits of sweet potatoes (Ipomoea batatas)

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Sweet potatoes (Ipomoea batatas) &nbsp;<a href="https://www.herbal-organic.com/bg/herb/14493" target="_blank" data-ref="Sweet potato" rel="noopener">[ref. 1]</a>&nbsp; are usually recognized by their copper-colored bark and bright orange color. In fact, there are other varieties grown all over the world, with colors such as white, creamy, yellow, reddish-purple, and saturated purple.&nbsp;

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True to their name, sweet potatoes have a naturally sweet taste, which is further enhanced by cooking methods such as baking. They are also one of the best sources of beta-carotene - a precursor to vitamin A. Sweet potatoes contain plenty of other carotene pigments. In some studies, sweet potatoes have been shown to be a better source of bioavailable beta-carotene than green leafy vegetables. Carotenoids are also antioxidants, which means they have the power to protect <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3921/7/2/28" target="_blank" data-ref="Carotenoids&mdash;Antioxidant Properties" rel="noopener">your cells from daily damage.</a>&nbsp;[ref. 2]&nbsp;

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Ipomoea batatas are also sources of anti-inflammatory nutrients, soluble and insoluble fiber, and other beneficial components of different actions.&nbsp;

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Vitamins and minerals in abundance 

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Only one sweet potato gives you 400% of the vitamin A you need every day. This helps to keep your eyes healthy as well as the immune system in optimal conditioning. Also, vitamin A is useful for the reproductive system and organs such as the heart and kidneys.&nbsp;

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Sweet potatoes are rich in the following nutrients:

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<ul><li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Vitamins of group B</li><li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Vitamin C</li><li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Calcium</li><li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Iron</li><li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Magnesium</li><li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Phosphorus</li><li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Potassium</li><li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Thiamin</li><li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Zinc</li></ul>

Sweet-potatoes-for-gut-health

Sweet potatoes for gut health 

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Fiber and antioxidants in sweet potatoes are good for gut health. Sweet potatoes contain two types of fiber: soluble and insoluble. &nbsp;<a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/jf101021s" target="_blank" data-ref="Just a moment..." rel="noopener">[ref. 3]</a>&nbsp; These components contribute to good peristalsis and regular bowel movements, and maintenance of digestive function and processes.

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In this regard, in vitro studies have found that antioxidants in several types of sweet potatoes promote the growth of beneficial gut bacteria, including certain types of Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus. &nbsp;<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-018-23397-0?error=cookies_not_supported&amp;code=04a275e3-d327-4e3a-b8b6-cac8bfe2178e" target="_blank" data-ref="Antioxidant and prebiotic activity of five peonidin-based anthocyanins extracted from purple sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam.) - Scientific Reports" rel="noopener">[Ref. 4]</a>&nbsp;

Potential-anticancer-properties-of-sweet-potatoes

Potential anticancer properties of sweet potatoes 

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Sweet potatoes provide a variety of antioxidants that can help protect against certain cancers. Anthocyanins - a group of antioxidants found in purple sweet potatoes - can slow down the growth of certain types of cancer cells in in vitro studies, including those of bladder, colon, stomach and breast cancer. &nbsp;<a href="https://www.hindawi.com/journals/bmri/2015/768093/" target="_blank" data-ref="Anti-Inflammatory and Anticancer Activities of Taiwanese Purple-Fleshed Sweet Potatoes (Ipomoea batatas L. Lam) Extracts" rel="noopener">[Ref. 5]</a>&nbsp;

Sweet-potatoes-for-normal-brain-function

Sweet potatoes for normal brain function 

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Animal studies have found that anthocyanins can protect the brain by reducing inflammation and preventing damage from free radicals. It is important to note that no studies have been conducted to test these effects in humans, but overall diets rich in fruits, vegetables and antioxidants are associated with a 13% lower risk of cognitive decline and dementia.

How-to-cook-a-sweet-potato

How to cook a sweet potato 

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First of all, it is important to clean sweet potatoes before use if you leave the crust for a certain recipe. If you're not going to cook them right after peeling or chopping, dip them in cold water to prevent discoloration.

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Sweet potatoes are a great alternative to classic potatoes in most recipes. They can be cooked, roasted, or stewed until softened, then blended, pureed, or simply served with spices.

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Baked sweet potato, like a baked potato, should be cooked in a medium-hot oven for about 45 minutes. For a microwave, prepare like a baked potato, but cook over high heat for 10 minutes, turning once during cooking. Grilling sweet potatoes is another great method that will accentuate their great taste.

What-foods-get-along-with-sweet-potatoes

What foods get along with sweet potatoes 

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Sweet potatoes partner well with spicy flavors, so they can be a side dish seasoned with curry powder, cumin, chili, black pepper, paprika, citrus juice, and ginger, as well as cinnamon and nutmeg. Iron-rich spinach and earthy beetroot suit the natural sweetness of potatoes, as well as meat with a strong taste such as lamb and duck.

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Making sweet potatoes with a little fat - such as coconut oil, olive oil or avocado oil - can help increase the absorption of beta-carotene, as it is a fat-soluble nutrient.&nbsp;

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As long as you know how to cook them, sweet potatoes are a great alternative to the usual potatoes in culinary. Compatible with almost any diet, they can be cooked in many ways and matched with vegetables and meat, and have great health benefits. Rich in nutrients, and antioxidants, and with potentially anti-cancer effects, sweet potatoes are a great food to consume whenever possible.

Health Benefits of Sweet Potatoes (Ipomoea batatas)

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Бетина Цветкова

Proven-Health-Benefits-of-Garlic

Proven Health Benefits of Garlic

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Garlic-improves-cholesterol-levels

Garlic improves cholesterol levels

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Garlic (Allium Sativum) can lower levels of total and LDL (bad) cholesterol according to numerous studies. &nbsp;<a href="https://www.herbal-organic.com/bg/herb/14382" target="_blank" data-ref="Allium sativum" rel="noopener">[ref. 1]</a> For people with high cholesterol, garlic supplements can reduce total and LDL cholesterol by about 10-15%.&nbsp;<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8169881/" target="_blank" data-ref="Garlic as a lipid lowering agent--a meta-analysis - PubMed" rel="noopener">[ref. 2] Looking</a> specifically at LDL (bad) and HDL (good) cholesterol, garlic seems to reduce LDL, but does not have the same effect on HDL.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.hindawi.com/journals/mi/2013/285795/" target="_blank" data-ref="Aged Garlic Extract Improves Adiponectin Levels in Subjects with Metabolic Syndrome: A Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Randomized, Crossover Study" rel="noopener">[ref. 3]</a>&nbsp;

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This effect of garlic is key, since high cholesterol is a predisposing factor for the development of heart disease.&nbsp;

Garlic-against-cognitive-decline-and-dementia

Garlic against cognitive decline and dementia

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Garlic contains antioxidants that can help prevent Alzheimer's disease and dementia. Oxidative damage from free radicals in the body contributes to the aging process and reduces the protection of the body that antioxidants provide.

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Garlic can help as it contains antioxidants that support the body's protective mechanisms against oxidative damage. &nbsp;<a href="https://academic.oup.com/jn/article/131/3/955S/4687054" target="_blank" data-ref="Intake of Garlic and Its Bioactive Components" rel="noopener">[Ref. 4]</a>&nbsp;

Garlic-for-longevity

Garlic for longevity

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Garlic can help you live longer, as it contributes to stronger immune protection. Unfortunately, the potential effects of garlic on longevity are practically impossible to prove in humans.

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Given the beneficial effects on important risk factors such as blood pressure and cholesterol, it can be beneficial for maintaining good health and normal weight. And it's at the heart of longevity, according to some scientists who <a href="https://www.hindawi.com/journals/jobe/2012/107989/" target="_blank" data-ref="Obesity and Trends in Life Expectancy" rel="noopener">believe obesity interferes with a full-fledged lifestyle and compromises health and life expectancy</a>&nbsp;.&nbsp;

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Garlic-for-detoxification

Garlic for detoxification

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Eating garlic can help detoxify heavy metals in the body. It has been proven that at high doses sulfur compounds in garlic protect against organ damage from toxicity from heavy metals. &nbsp;<a href="https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S1319016409000528" target="_blank" data-ref="Redirecting" rel="noopener">[Ref. 6]</a>&nbsp;

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A four-week study among employees at a car battery plant (who had excessive lead exposure) found that garlic reduced blood lead levels by 19%. It also reduces many clinical signs of toxicity, including headaches and blood pressure. To confirm this action and refine the effectiveness of garlic for detoxification, more research is needed.

Garlic-for-better-physical-shape

Garlic for better physical shape

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Athletic performance can be improved with the intake of garlic supplements, with studies on rodents showing that garlic helps with this.&nbsp;

Garlic is very easy to use in absolutely any diet. It suits most spicy dishes, soups, sauces, and also has a beneficial effect on immunity, cognitive function. Garlic also works to normalize blood pressure and cholesterol, which will at least slightly reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.

11 Proven Health Benefits of Garlic (Allium Sativum) [Part 2]

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Reset-Ageing-Button

Reset Ageing Button

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In Sinclair's lab, two mice sit next to each other. One is a picture of youth, the other is almost faint. Yet they are a brother and sister born from the same litter - only one mice is genetically altered to grow older faster. If this can be done, then Sinclair asks his team is it possible to do the contrary? [&nbsp;<a href="https://sinclair.hms.harvard.edu/" target="_blank" data-ref="Welcome | The Sinclair Lab" rel="noopener">[ref. 1]</a>&nbsp;]

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Japanese biomedical researcher Dr Shinya Yamanaka has already reprogrammed adult skin cells to behave like embryonic or pluripotent stem cells capable of developing in any cell in the body. The 2007 discovery won the scientist a Nobel Prize and his "induced pluripotent stem cells" soon became known as "Yamanaka factors." [ <a href="https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/medicine/2012/yamanaka/facts/" target="_blank" data-ref="The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2012" rel="noopener">[ref. 2]</a>&nbsp;]

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However, adult cells, wholly switched back to stem cells through the Yamanaka factors, lose their identity. They forget they are blood, heart and skin cells, making them ideal for rebirth as a "cell du jour", but not suitable for rejuvenation. If we have to explain it differently, then we don't want Brad Pitt in the movie "The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button" to suddenly become a baby; he is expected to rejuvenate himself and also remember who he is.

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Laboratories around the world address this issue. A study published in 2016 by researchers from the Solk Institute for Biological Research in La Hola, California, shows that signs of aging can be removed in genetically obsolete mice exposed for a short time to four main Yamanaka factors without erasing cell identity. [ <a href="https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(16)31664-6?_returnURL=https%3A%2F%2Flinkinghub.elsevier.com%2Fretrieve%2Fpii%2FS0092867416316646%3Fshowall%3Dtrue" target="_blank" data-ref="Just a moment..." rel="noopener">[ref. 3] In</a>&nbsp;this study, however, there is a disadvantage: in certain situations, altered mice develop cancerous tumors.

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Looking for a safer alternative, the lab geneticist from Yuancheng Lu selects three of the four factors and genetically adds them to a harmless virus. The virus is designed to deliver the rejuvenating factors Yamanaka to the damaged ganglion cells of the retina at the back of an adult mouse's eye. After injecting the virus into the eye, pluripotent genes are involved by giving an antibiotic to the mouse.

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"Antibiotics are just a tool. It could be any chemical, just a way to check that the three genes are involved," Sinclair says. 'They're usually only included in very young developing embryos and then switched off when we get older.'

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What-happens-next

What happens next

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Surprisingly, damaged neurons in the eyes of mice injected with rejuvenated three cells even grow new axons or projections from the eye into the brain. After this initial study, Sinclair says his laboratory experiment reversed aging in the muscles and brains of mice and is now working on rejuvenating the entire mouse body.

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"Somehow the cells know that the body can restart and still know which genes should have been switched on when they were young," says the molecular biologist. "We think we use an ancient regeneration system that some animals also apply &ndash; when you cut off the salamander limb, this limb grows again. The tail of the fish will grow again; the mouse finger will grow again."

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This discovery shows that there is a "backup" of information about youth stored in the body.

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"I call it an information theory of aging," says Dr Sinclair. "This is a loss of information that causes aging cells to forget how to function, to forget what type of cells they are. And now we can turn on a reset button that restores the cell's ability to read the genome correctly again as if it were young."

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While the changes lasted for months in mice, the renewed cells did not "freeze" over time, ageing. "This is as constant as aging. It's a reset, then we see the mice age again, so we just repeat the process.'&nbsp;

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According to him, he and his team found the main control switch, a way to turn around the clock. And he adds that "then the body will wake up, remember how to behave, remember how to regenerate and be young again, even if it is already old and sick."

The-future-of-achievements-in-anti-ageing-medicine

The future of achievements in anti-ageing medicine

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In the laboratory of molecular biologist David Sinclair at Harvard Medical School, old mice are getting young again. Using proteins that can turn an adult cell into a stem cell, Sinclair and his team restored aging cells in mice to earlier versions of themselves. In his team's first breakthrough, published in late 2020, old mice with poor vision and damaged retinas can suddenly see again, with vision sometimes comparable to that of their offspring. [&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-020-2975-4?error=cookies_not_supported&amp;code=1e32e6d0-f6e0-456f-af29-827aa9b6ca63" target="_blank" data-ref="Reprogramming to recover youthful epigenetic information and restore vision - Nature" rel="noopener">[ref. 4]</a>&nbsp;]

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"It's a constant zeroing, as far as we can tell, and we think it could be a universal process that can be applied throughout the body to restore our age," says Sinclair, who has spent the past 20 years studying ways to reverse the damage caused by the course of time.

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"If we reverse aging, these diseases should not happen. Today we have the technology so we can get to nearly a century of life without worrying about getting cancer in our 70s, heart disease in the 1980s or Alzheimer's in our 90s.'&nbsp;

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While modern medicine deals with the disease, it is not aimed at the underlying cause, "which for most diseases is aging itself," says Dr Sinclair. "We know that when we reverse the age of an organ like the brain of a mouse, the diseases of aging disappear. Memory returns; dementia is no longer there."

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According to the American molecular biologist, in the future delaying and reversing aging will be the best way to treat the diseases that threatens most of us. This is the world that is coming. It's literally only a matter of time before this happens in this decade.

Studies into whether the genetic intervention that revitalized the mice will achieve the same in humans are still at an early stage. A few years will pass before human trials are completed, analysed and, if safe and successful, reach legislative approval and finally get to people. However, the discovery arouses strong interest in the scientific community and gives hope that we probably have a chance against the universal enemy called "time."

The Benjamin Button Effect: How scientists reverse aging in mice

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Cranberry-tea---what-are-its-useful-components

Cranberry tea - what are its useful components

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Blueberry tea (Vaccinium corymbosum) is prepared by soaking the leaves of the blueberry bush in hot water. [&nbsp;<a href="https://www.herbal-organic.com/bg/herb/15036" target="_blank" data-ref="Vaccinium corymbosum" rel="noopener">[ref. 1]</a>&nbsp;] A fragrant and tasty drink, it provides a number of unique health benefits that make it both refreshing for warmer days&nbsp; and useful for your body.

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<ul><li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Calories: 2 kcal</li><li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Fat: 0 g</li><li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Cholesterol: 0 mg.</li><li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Sodium: 7 mg.</li><li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Proteins: 0 g</li></ul>Making tea with blueberry leaves instead of regular tea leaves adds several other nutrients to your drink, including:

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<ul><li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Fiber for improved digestion.</li><li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Vitamin C for strong antioxidant protection and collagen synthesis.</li><li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Vitamin K for normal blood clotting and bone tissue.</li><li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Manganese, which is a catalyst for the synthesis of fatty acids and cholesterol, extremely important for the formation of thiroxine.</li><li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Potassium - an important mineral that the body needs to work properly. It's a kind of electrolyte. Helps your nerves and muscles function properly.</li></ul>Some people add dried cranberries before soaking the cranberry tea, which helps to provide extra nutrients and a more saturated taste. Note that adding dried fruits also means more sugar and calories.&nbsp;

Potential-health-benefits-of-blueberry-tea

Potential health benefits of blueberry tea

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Although many people drink tea just because of the taste, this drink also provides beneficial nutrients. With cranberry tea, you can help your antioxidant defenses against damage to free radicals, support brain function and heart health. [&nbsp;<a href="https://www.herbal-organic.com/bg/pubmed/Antioxidant_properties_of_prepared_blueberry_Vaccinium_myrtillus_extracts_16104817" target="_blank" data-ref="Antioxidant properties of prepared blueberry (Vaccinium myrtillus) extracts. | Билкови и природни лекарства" rel="noopener">[ref. 2]</a>&nbsp; Let's look at why cranberry tea excels at other tea drinks and what its areas of utility are.

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<ul><li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Improved heart health. High potassium levels make blueberry tea a healthy drink for the heart. Studies have shown that a sufficient amount of potassium in your diet can help prevent heart disease. Drinking cranberry tea is a good choice to get more potassium without more fat, carbohydrates or sugars found in other potassium-rich foods.</li><li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Better brain function. Cranberry tea can help your brain work better. This also applies to people with cognitive brain disorders such as Alzheimer's or dementia. For example, blueberry tea helps to prevent plaque build-up in the brain. While this won't create new brain pathways to replace the lost or prevent road weakening over time, neurons will be able to move more easily through the roads that already exist. This in turn facilitates thinking, processing information and remembering important events.</li><li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Stronger immune system. If your immunity works well, the risk of getting sick is lower. In addition, with strong immunity, the recovery process can be shortened when you get sick. Cranberry tea is rich in vitamin C, which has been shown to help your immune system work better. Anthocyanins in blueberry tea further strengthen the body's immune system.</li><li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Better circulation. If you find that your hands or feet are easily getting cold, you may have a circulatory problem. Healthy blood flow is key to allowing important nutrients in your body to reach vital organs and limbs. Red blood cells, in particular, deliver oxygen throughout the body, and they need iron. Calcium, on the other hand, helps the body absorb iron, and in cranberry tea there are many of both substances.</li></ul>

Potential-risks-of-blueberry-tea-consumption

Potential risks of blueberry tea consumption

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When consuming cranberry tea at once (more than 3 cups), you may experience nausea or diarrhea.&nbsp; Allergic reactions to blueberries are rare, but can occur. Symptoms of an allergic reaction to blueberries may be:

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<ul><li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Swelling of the lips, tongue or gums.</li><li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Skin irritation such as redness, swelling or itching.</li></ul>

Delicious and refreshing, cranberry tea is a great way to diversify tradition and drink something other than chamomile tea or mint. Besides all this is also rich in valuable compounds for better immunity and support of the brain, heart and circulation. Just do not overdo it with the glasses if they contain blueberry tea (or alcoholic beverage).

Blueberry Tea - Why It Is Useful And How To Prepare It

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Having-a-pet-is-fun-(and-healthy)

Having a pet is fun (and healthy) 

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Do you have a dog? Do you love him? Well, if you have a cat things look a little different, but there's a chance they love you too - and that's great for everyone! The unconditional love that members of the canine genus give us is like no other and also brings us great health benefits in the long run. Some of these benefits are reduced stress levels and risk of high blood pressure, reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease, loneliness and social exclusion.&nbsp;

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Did you know that dog therapy is used to help patients who are dealing with dementia or Alzheimer's? The presence of dogs has been found to help reduce the effects of dementia, for example &ndash; loneliness, irritability, depression and anxiety. Some studies have even found that dogs are able to "smell" Alzheimer's disease in urine samples. &nbsp;<a href="https://www.yalescientific.org/2016/04/sniffing-out-alzheimers-olfaction-as-a-diagnostic-and-research-tool/" target="_blank" data-ref="Sniffing Out Alzheimer&rsquo;s: Olfaction as a Diagnostic and Research Tool &ndash; Yale Scientific Magazine" rel="noopener">[ref. 1]</a>&nbsp;

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Contact with a cat can also contribute to improving the treatment of many diseases, including depression (anxiety and fear), arthritis, Alzheimer's disease, AIDS, ADHD, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, cardiovascular disease, progressive muscle atrophy, sclerosis, vision loss and hearing, mental illness, osteoporosis and autism. &nbsp;<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1230801316300613" target="_blank" data-ref="Feline-assisted therapy: Integrating contact with cats into treatment plans" rel="noopener">[Ref. 2]</a>&nbsp;

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A new study has found that pet ownership is particularly useful in another extremely important aspect - working verbal memory.

Pets'-contribution-to-cognitive-health

Pets' contribution to cognitive health

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"To the best of our knowledge, our study is the first to look at the effect of the duration of pet ownership on cognitive health," said lead author Jennifer Applebaum, a doctoral student in sociology and a doctoral student at the National Institute of Health at the University of Florida.&nbsp;<a href="https://news.ufl.edu/2022/02/pet-ownership-study/" target="_blank" data-ref="Long-term pet ownership may help older adults retain cognitive skills" rel="noopener">[Ref. 2]</a>&nbsp;

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The study analyzed cognitive data on more than 1,300 adults who participated in the so-called "Health and Retirement Study," a nationally representative study tracking the lives of Americans 50 and older. It is also interesting that it is not only cats and dogs that can stimulate brain health. The people involved in the study also looked after rabbits, hamsters, birds, fish and reptiles, although dogs were most prevalent as a group, followed by cats.

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One of the main findings of the study was that owning pets for five years or more resulted in the greatest benefit, slowing cognitive decline by 1.2 points over the six-year study period compared to the rate of decline in non-pet people, said clinical neuroimmunologist Dr. Tiffany Brayley, Associate Professor of Neurology at the University of Michigan. These findings provide early evidence to suggest that long-term pet ownership may protect against cognitive decline, Dr. Brayley adds.

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The scientific work will be presented in April 2022 at <a href="https://ihs-headache.org/en/events/74th-annual-meeting-of-the-american-academy-of-neurology/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the 74th annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology</a>.

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Any participant with cognitive decline at the beginning of the study was excluded from the analysis. In the final sample, over 53% own pets. Pet owners tend to have higher socioeconomic status, which can also be the cause of the benefits. Experts believe that people on higher incomes are more likely to visit doctors and take care of their health, and this may also apply to their pets.

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Another conclusion of the study that stands out: any brain stimulation associated with owning pets for five years is more noticeable in older people of color, especialli Black, adults with higher education and men. However, more studies are needed to include more men, as previous studies have mainly been done among women.

Pets'-contribution-to-cognitive-health_1_7

Why have pets for more than five years has the most positive impact? The study, which can only show a link, not a direct cause and effect between pet ownership and cognition, fails to answer this question.

Pets'-contribution-to-cognitive-health_1_8

However, previous studies have also identified associations between interactions with companion animals and physiological measures to reduce stress, including reducing cortisol levels and blood pressure, which in the long term can have an impact on cognitive health. There can also be a complex of other brain benefits resulting from owning pets, such as social communication and a sense of duty and some purpose.

The researchers found that older people over 50 or older who had any type of pet for more than five years showed a slower cognitive decline in verbal memory compared to people who did not have pets. The presence of a pet or multiple pets combines many basic components of a healthy lifestyle for the brain. These include increased activity - games and walks, cognitive engagement, socialization, which only part of the activity influencing key modifiable risk factors for cognitive decline and dementia in Alzheimer's disease.

Pets can improve cognitive function, according to a new study

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Pets can improve cognitive function, according to a new study 

Alzheimer's-disease---what-is-it

Alzheimer's disease - what is it

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Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of dementia, a common term for memory loss and other cognitive abilities serious enough to interfere with daily life. Alzheimer's disease accounts for 60-80% of cases of dementia. This condition is not a normal part of ageing, but the most serious risk factor for its development is precisely age. Also, Alzheimer's disease is a progressive disease in which the symptoms of dementia gradually worsen over several years.

What-the-research-team-finds

What the research team finds

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&nbsp;<a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaophthalmology/article-abstract/2788716" target="_blank" data-ref="Associations Between Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer and Ganglion Cell Layer and Cognition" rel="noopener">[ref. 1]</a>&nbsp; "Given that we have not been able to treat advanced Alzheimer's disease and that the global spread of the disease is increasing, the ability to identify people at the preclinical stage, when we still have a chance to intervene, is really important," says health researcher Ashley Barrett-Young of the University of Ougho, New Zealand. [ref.1]

What-the-research-team-finds_0_1

Further research is needed to validate these claims. However, the team behind the study believes the findings could pave the way for a simple eye test to help predict a person's risk of conditions such as Alzheimer's disease, the most common form of dementia. Although such observed associations are interesting to the scientific community, the risk factors for Alzheimer's disease are many and varied, so for now all the links between Alzheimer's disease and eye health are still under intensive investigation.