5 Ways to Live Longer and Without Dementia
Healthy lifestyles are linked to extra years of life and more years without Alzheimer’s disease
When I ask people how long they want to live, most say something like “as long as I’m healthy.” Most of us naturally want to be of sound mind and body until the end. Fortunately, science has found several best practices that can help give us the best chance of living longer and staying physically and mentally well — behaviors with benefits that accrue whether you embrace them when you’re young or old.
A new study puts some compelling numbers to the mental side of the equation, showing that a few key lifestyle factors are linked not only to longer life but also more years without Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia.
The research, using data from 2,449 people 65 and older in the United States who had no history of dementia when they joined the study, asked whether participants do these five things or not:
- Get 150 minutes (2.5 hours) or more of physical activity per week, whether formal exercise or simply walking or doing yard work
- Eat a diet rich in whole grains, green leafy vegetables and berries and low in fast/fried food, and red meats
- Stimulate the mind with activities…
