Dementia Warded off by Exercise, Tea and Vitamin D?

Three new studies, released Sunday at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in Honolulu, show that better habits in living and diet may reduce the risk of brain decline. Especially affecting this risk are plenty of exercise, drinking tea and sufficient vitamin D.

The first study, from Framingham, Massachusetts, was conducted by Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston researchers about cardiovascular risk. After following 1,200 people considered ‘elderly’ for 20 years, they discovered that those who had moderate or great levels of physical activity lowered their risk of developing not only Alzheimer’s but any type of dementia by about 40%. The participants with the least amount of activity increased their risk by 45%.

242 of these participants developed dementia of some sort.

The second study followed 4,800 participants of the age 65 or over for 14 years. It found that those who drank tea decreased the risk by 37% per year. These tea drinkers drank tea one to four times per week.

Coffee did not have any effect on the level of risk, suggesting that caffeine is not the source of the decrease in chance of developing dementia.

The final study, which displayed the most extreme results, focused on vitamin D. Those 65 and older in a study of 3, 325 US adults showed those who had vitamin D deficiency had a 42% greater risk. Those who were severely deficient increased their risk by 394%.

Alzheimer’s affects 5.3 million Americans, .5 million of which are ages 30-50. It is the seventh leading cause of death.