Health: ‘Rucking’ Is The Walking Trend You Need To Try. Here’s Why.<\/a><\/p>\n The aging population may be living with lifestyle chronic diseases like high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes, which also raise a person\u2019s dementia risk<\/a>. \u201cWe estimate that about 40% of cases of dementia are preventable through lifestyle and other factors,\u201d said Dr. Meredith Bock, neurologist and chief medical officer at Remo Health. Just because you carry a gene that puts you at a higher risk for developing dementia doesn\u2019t mean that you will.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s certainly a benefit to lifestyle interventions, both at reducing the time of onset of dementia or potentially getting it at all,\u201d Bock said.<\/p>\n Some of these interventions, like getting plenty of exercise or doing brain puzzles<\/a>, are well known. Others, however, may not be.\u00a0Below, neurologists share the behaviors they do daily to keep their risk of dementia low, which may seem unusual to some:<\/p>\n They walk to their colleague\u2019s office instead of sending an email.<\/p>\n Instead of being glued to a chair in front of a computer at work, Dr. Gabriel Leger,<\/a>\u00a0a\u00a0neurologist at UC San Diego Health, is very intentional about getting up and moving to break up prolonged sitting periods.<\/p>\n Health: Researchers Have Discovered 2 New Dementia Risk Factors. Here’s What They Are.<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cIf I\u2019m not with patients, I\u2019m more likely to stand up and go across the building to speak to somebody instead of sending an email just because it gets me off the chair and makes me more active,\u201d Leger said.<\/p>\n Our bodies weren\u2019t designed to be still for prolonged periods, explained Leger. A 2023 study<\/a> of nearly 50,000 adults revealed that 10 hours or more of sitting per day is linked to increased dementia risk.<\/p>\n They interact with people IRL as often as possible.<\/p>\n Another reason Leger will discuss a matter with a colleague face-to-face instead of simply sending an email is that interacting with other people helps preserve brain function.<\/p>\n \u201cThe more social interaction you have, the more connections your brain is making,\u201d Leger said. Socializing with others is a protective factor to reduce your risk of Alzheimer\u2019s disease. He added that it is as much a stimulator of brain connections as education.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen you have a typical conversation, there are a lot of different cognitive domains you may be drawing on, comprehending language, speaking, following a story, and a lot of behavioral aspects, socio-emotional cues that you\u2019re picking up on and responding to,\u201d Bock explained. \u201cSocial interactions are also just really good for mood, which is also closely related to cognition.\u201d<\/p>\n Caring for pets can have brain-protecting benefits. F.J. Jimenez via Getty Images<\/p>\n If they have pets, they really commit to caring for them.<\/p>\n Leger owns two dogs and two cats. With dogs in particular, \u201cyou interact with them socially, you are obligated to take them out every day for a walk, and they force you to interact with other dog owners,\u201d Leger said.<\/p>\n \u201cYou have a responsibility and are maintaining the sense that \u2018There\u2019s something that I need to do. I need to feed my dog. I need to make sure that they\u2019re well.\u2019 It\u2019s a bit like parenting, where that sense of purpose is kept.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Health: 5 Unusual Things Neurologists Do Every Day To Lower Their Risk Of Dementia<\/a><\/p>\n These may protect a person\u2019s cognitive function, as they provide daily opportunities for mental stimulation, social interaction and exercise. If you have a pet, this is another great reason to commit to its care.<\/p>\n They steer clear of foods with pesticides, preservatives or that are highly processed.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not quirky, but I try to stay away from highly processed foods, and try to eat organic food as much as possible. That\u2019s not possible for everybody, but I do believe that pesticides, herbicides and highly processed foods are associated with elements that can stress the brain, that can increase the risk of dementia,\u201d Leger said.<\/p>\n A practical way to do this is to buy fresh produce from the local farmer\u2019s market or community food garden. If not weekly, try to do it once a month. If this isn\u2019t possible, make it a habit to rinse your fruit and vegetables thoroughly with water before consuming them, as Leger does.<\/p>\n They eat lots of olive oil.<\/p>\n Dr. Gustavo Roman<\/a>, a neurologist at Houston Methodist Hospital, takes a tablespoon\u2019s worth of extra virgin olive oil every morning with his breakfast.<\/p>\n Health: \u2018Air Hunger\u2019 Is A Symptom Of Anxiety We Don\u2019t Talk About Nearly Enough<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cThere are more blood vessels in the brain than in any other organ,\u201d he said. When these blood vessels are affected, this raises the risk of developing dementia.<\/p>\n The Mediterranean diet is linked to healthier blood vessels<\/a>. As Roman scoured the scientific research, he saw that \u201cthere was data that the Mediterranean diet was a factor linked to the decrease in frequency of dementia.\u201d A key component of this diet is incorporating extra virgin olive oil at every meal<\/a>.<\/p>\n He advises his patients to find a supermarket that allows them to taste test different olive oils to find the one that is most palatable to them. \u201cWhen they purchase the olive oil,\u201d he said, \u201cit should be from the current year\u2019s harvest, it shouldn\u2019t have a very long shelf life, and its bottle should be black, dark green or brown or metallic because the oil is very sensitive to light.\u201d<\/p>\n Related…<\/p>\n![\"Caring](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/5d1d0aee764384cd30ca1ee8792b0f30.jpeg\"\/)
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