BRIGHT MINDS—Proven Ways to Reduce the Risk of Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia

Memories make up the fabric of our lives. When memory problems occur, it’s like losing important pieces of ourselves, and it can impair every aspect of our lives. No problem is more closely associated with memory loss than Alzheimer’s disease, one of the most feared and devastating illnesses of all.

About 7 million Americans are currently living with Alzheimer’s, and that number is expected to nearly double by 2050. There is no cure on the horizon, but research shows that you can reduce your risk for Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia.

A 2024 study, published in The Lancet, concluded that eliminating, treating, or reducing 14 risk factors could delay or prevent nearly half of all cases of dementia worldwide.

This headline-making research comes nearly 20 years after Dr. Daniel Amen’s groundbreaking book Preventing Alzheimer’s, in which he outlined lifestyle changes that can reduce your risk for the disease. And it comes seven years after Dr. Amen’s book Memory Rescue, in which he detailed how many of the same modifiable risk factors included in The Lancet study can decrease your chances of developing the disease.

Additional brain-imaging research, including a study in Neurodegenerative Disease, shows that changes in the brain associated with Alzheimer’s begin decades before symptoms appear. This research suggests that the best way to sharpen your memory, reverse brain aging, and prevent Alzheimer’s and other dementia types is to eliminate, prevent, or treat all of the risk factors that steal your mind.

Dr. Amen coined the acronym BRIGHT MINDS to help you remember the 11 major risk factors for memory loss, including Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias.

11 MAJOR RISK FACTORS FOR MEMORY LOSS

B is for blood flow and high blood pressure.

Blood flow is critical for brain health. Surprisingly, the blood vessels that feed our brain cells age faster than those neurons, so keeping your brain healthy means taking care of your blood vessels.

A history of high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, or a lack of physical exercise are common risk factors for blood flow problems. Managing high blood pressure through lifestyle changes and medication can improve blood flow and reduce the risks of cognitive decline and cardiovascular diseases.

R is for retirement, aging, and cognitive decline.

When you stop learning your brain starts dying. Your brain is like a muscle—the more you use it, the more you can use.

Advancing age is the single most important risk for memory loss and Alzheimer’s disease. A lack of new learning, social isolation, and loneliness increase the risk of age-related cognitive decline and memory problems.

I is for inflammation.

Chronic inflammation harms your organs and can destroy your brain. Eating a diet of fast foods and processed foods is pro-inflammatory.

Having low omega-3 levels or high C-reactive protein levels in the blood are indicators of high inflammation.

G is for genetics.

Having a family history of Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia increases your risk. However, a genetic vulnerability is not a death sentence.

It should be a wake-up call to proactively manage factors like blood pressure, as this can potentially reduce dementia risk.

H is for head trauma.

Concussions and other traumatic brain injuries—even head injuries without a loss of consciousness—are major risk factors for memory problems. Having multiple head injuries increases your risk of cognitive decline.

T is for toxins.

Exposure to environmental toxins has been linked to health problems ranging from allergies and cancer to autoimmune and neurodegenerative diseases. Alcohol, marijuana, and other drugs prematurely age the brain, as do other toxins such as mold.

That’s because our bodies’ detoxification systems (the gut, liver, kidneys, and skin), can become overwhelmed, damaging the brain, and increasing the risk of memory problems, dementia, and cognitive impairment.

M is for mental health. 

The health of your mind is an essential factor in the health of your memory. Mental health issues including depression, bipolar disorder, ADD/ADHD, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and chronic stress can all contribute to a higher risk of memory problems.

I is for immune system problems and infections.

When your immune system isn’t functioning optimally, you may be more vulnerable to autoimmune disorders and infections (such as COVID-19), which can increase your risk of brain fog and memory issues.

N is for neurohormone issues.

The brain plays an important role in hormone production and is significantly influenced by hormones from other areas of the body. When hormone levels (such as thyroid, testosterone, or estrogen) are out of balance, you may be more prone to Alzheimer’s disease, as well as depression, diabetes, and other illnesses.

D is for diabesity.

The word “diabesity” combines diabetes and obesity, both of which decrease the size and function of your brain. Diabetes damages blood vessels and eventually creates havoc throughout the body and brain, leading to cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia, stroke, hypertension, and more.

Research in the journal Neurology shows that being overweight or obese in midlife is also associated with dementia later in life.

S is for sleep.

Decades of research have linked sleep problems, such as insomnia and sleep apnea, to a higher risk of memory problems and dementia. A 2021 study in Nature Communications found that people in their 50s and 60s who sleep less than 6 hours per night are more likely to develop dementia later in life.

PROVEN STRATEGIES TO REDUCE ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE RISK

The good news is that almost all of these risk factors are either preventable or treatable. Here are science-backed strategies to address the 11 major risk factors for memory loss.

Blood flow strategies:

Exercise for 30 minutes a day, eat foods that boost blood flow (such as beets and cayenne pepper), and take nutritional supplements such as ginkgo biloba.

Managing high blood pressure through these lifestyle changes can also significantly improve blood flow.

Retirement and aging strategies:

Make new learning part of your everyday life no matter how old you are.

Inflammation strategies:

Eat an anti-inflammatory diet, increase your intake of dietary omega-3 fatty acids with fatty fish (such as salmon or anchovies), and take supplements (such as fish oil, probiotics, and curcumins).

Additionally, following a Mediterranean diet, which includes a variety of fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, and fish, while using olive oil as the primary fat, can provide significant anti-inflammatory benefits.

Genetics strategies:

If you have a family history of dementia, it is critical to be serious about brain health as soon as possible. Get screened early for memory problems.

Clinical trials are underway to understand potential preventive measures and treatments, such as gene silencing, in people who have a genetic vulnerability for dementia.

Head trauma strategies:

Heal the brain from past head injuries with hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) and protect your head from future injuries. Wear a helmet when biking or skiing, refrain from contact sports, wear your seat belt, avoid climbing ladders, hold handrails when going down the stairs, and never text while walking or driving.

Toxin strategies:

Avoid toxic exposure and support the four organs of detoxification:

• Kidneys – drink more water
• Gut – eat more fiber and choose organic foods
• Liver – quit smoking and drugs, limit alcohol, eat brassicas (such as cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts)
• Skin – sweat with exercise and take saunas

Mental health and dementia prevention strategies:

Adopt brain-healthy habits, including daily physical activity and good nutrition. In addition, learn to eliminate your automatic negative thoughts (ANTs) and seek professional help to treat any mental health issues.

Embracing healthy lifestyle choices can further support brain health and reduce the risk of diseases like Alzheimer’s.

Immune system problems and infection strategies:

Boost your vitamin D intake and eat onions, mushrooms, and garlic. If you suspect a lingering infection, such as long COVID or Lyme disease, work with an integrative or functional medicine doctor who can properly diagnose and treat you.

Neurohormone strategies:

Have your healthcare provider test your hormone levels and optimize them if necessary.

Diabesity strategies:

Eat a brain-healthy diet, eliminate sugar, and be calorie smart. Lifestyle factors such as maintaining a balanced diet and regular exercise play a crucial role in managing diabesity.

Sleep strategies:

Aim for 7-8 hours of sleep per night and develop a nightly routine that promotes relaxation. Consider supplements, such as GABA, 5-HTP, melatonin, and l-theanine. If you snore, get an evaluation for sleep apnea and treat it if necessary.