Lifestyle changes could see 80,000 people saved from dementia, a research project has suggested.
However, the lifestyle changes would have to be made early on in life to be most effective, something people arguably aren’t very good at; it can be hard to make drastic changes now during our busy lives, in order to improve our outlook later on.
We are used to being told that we need to change our diet and make lifestyle changes for the better, but in addition, this time we are being told that doing more puzzles can help our health.
The findings, which will be presented at the World Innovation Summit for Health in Doha in February, suggest that neuro-degeneration can begin as early as a person’s 40s, and so changes need to be made early on.
The chairman of the Summit, Lord Ara Darzi, wrote: “At an individual level we need to look after our brains – sharpen those chess skills, pick up that cross word and solve that puzzle… Eating a healthy diet, avoiding obesity and getting plenty of exercise are all important to brain health because what is good for our hearts is also good for our heads.”
So while you’re tucking into your next healthy salad, why not pick up a cross word while you’re at it?