Ice cream brings people with dementia to happier, warmer times when the treat was shared with friends and loved ones at special, joyous occa- sions. Ice cream has the power to immediately elicit soothing feelings at the very first taste of a single spoon-full.
Berries, fish, and leafy green vegetables are 3 of the best foods that fight memory loss. There's a mountain of evidence showing they support and protect brain health.
Offer vegetables, fruits, whole grains, low-fat dairy products and lean protein foods. Limit foods with high saturated fat and cholesterol. Some fat is essential for health — but not all fats are equal. Go light on fats that are bad for heart health, such as butter, solid shortening, lard and fatty cuts of meats.
When evaluated continuously, each 50 g/day higher cheese intake was associated with 20% lower multivariable-adjusted risk of incident dementia, although the association was not statistically significant (P = 0.10).
Nuts and berries are ideal snacks -- both have been linked to better brain health. Blueberries and strawberries, in particular, help keep your brain working at its best and may slow symptoms linked to Alzheimer's.
The laboratory rats proved to be less prone to anxiety, which is often a cause and result of developing dementia. The study did not only help provide evidence that yogurt may help prevent dementia, but it may also help fight against cognitive decline.
Conclusion. This prospective study suggests that egg consumption is associated with a reduced risk of dementia, and specifically of AD, in the adult population with low adherence to rMED score; whereas it has no impact in subjects with moderate and high MD adherence.
While the process of creating cocoa and chocolate can often reduce the flavanol content, flavanol-rich cocoa or chocolate may improve cognitive function for elderly people. The benefits, however, are very small and specific. Whether it can protect against dementia is even less clear.
Nuts, Seeds and Legumes
All of these are shown to promote brain health and reduce age-related cognitive decline. Foods such as walnuts, almonds, peanuts, soybeans, lentils, flax seeds and pumpkin seeds are all good choices to add to your diet if you're looking to score these benefits.
Phytochemicals. Phytochemicals found in bananas help preserve nerve tissue against neurotoxins, which deteriorate nervous tissue when exposed to its substance. This may also help in preventing neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's disease.
There have also been other suggestions as to how coffee can help against dementia. Research has shown that caffeinated coffee increases production of granulocyte-colony stimulating factor, which helps the brain in several ways.
(Related: 7 reasons to eat more avocados)
Specifically, lutein, a carotenoid found in avocados, has been linked to lowering dementia risk and improved brain health.
Offer different types of drink throughout the day such as tea, coffee, hot and cold milky drinks, fruit juice or smoothies, soup, squash and water. Make sure the cup or glass is suitable – not too heavy or a difficult shape.
Souvenaid is a medical drink containing an active ingredient called Fortasyn Connect. This is a combination of fatty acids, vitamins and other nutrients. It was developed with the aim of preventing the loss of important connections between brain cells that occurs in Alzheimer's disease.
The following are used to temporarily improve dementia symptoms. Cholinesterase inhibitors. These medications — including donepezil (Aricept), rivastigmine (Exelon) and galantamine (Razadyne) — work by boosting levels of a chemical messenger involved in memory and judgment.
Abnormal sweet-food craving may occur in subjects with Alzheimer's disease. This behavior may be due to abnormalities in the brain serotonin system. Fenfluramine stimulates the brain serotonin neurosystem, producing an increase in systemic prolactin.
It's not uncommon for a person with dementia to experience an increase in cravings for sugary foods, leading to consumption of excessive quantities of sweets, chocolate and cakes. According to Alzheimer's Association, taste buds can diminish when the disease takes hold.
other long-term health problems – dementia tends to progress more quickly if the person is living with other conditions, such as heart disease, diabetes or high blood pressure, particularly if these are not well-managed.
Fruits. Certain fruits such as oranges, bell peppers, guava, kiwi, tomatoes, and strawberries, contain high amounts of vitamin C. Vitamin C helps prevent brain cells from becoming damaged and supports overall brain health. In fact, a study found that vitamin C can potentially prevent Alzheimer's.
Eggs provide bioactive compounds, such as lutein, choline, zeaxanthin, and high-value proteins, that may have a protective role against dementia due to their beneficial effects on inflammation (22, 23).
I'm going to discuss five of the most basic ones here: 1) Don't tell them they are wrong about something, 2) Don't argue with them, 3) Don't ask if they remember something, 4) Don't remind them that their spouse, parent or other loved one is dead, and 5) Don't bring up topics that may upset them.
“Dementia is irreversible when caused by degenerative disease or trauma, but might be reversible in some cases when caused by drugs, alcohol, hormone or vitamin imbalances, or depression,” explains The Cleveland Clinic. “The frequency of 'treatable' causes of dementia is believed to be about 20 percent.”
Try gentle touching, soothing music, reading, or walks. Reduce noise, clutter, or the number of people in the room. Try to distract the person with a favorite snack, object, or activity. Limit the amount of caffeine the person drinks and eats.