What do you do for cognitive health?

[wdfifteen]

I’m terrified of dementia. I watched my father go through it and it is horrible. So I work at keeping my brain cells exercised.
I used to do logic puzzles, but I’m kind of bored with them. I may go back.
Right now I do the daily Wordle, a cryptogram, and a block-sorting game on my phone. Plus I stand balanced on one foot for two minutes at the end of morning stretches. I’m trying to expand my knot-tying repertoire, but I’m finding remembering the knots more challenging than I expected.
I know a lot of the folks here are “of a certain age.” What do you do to maintain cognitive health?

[Rot 911]

I played chess once a week with a friend of mine. In between I play chess against the computer on my iPad. I also read, a lot.

[JackDidley]

I play chess on line. (I suck at it.) Also try new OS software on my laptops but ubuntu seems to be my go to.

[Dantilla]

The human brain needs blood. Lotsa blood.

Get your heart rate up. Every day.

[Shaun @ Tru6]

I practice curiosity like it's an Olympic event and it's 6 months before the next games.

I'm watching a video on little known details about Paul Revere's ride right now.

[jhynesrockmtn]

My Mom suffered for years with dementia. Her Doc thought it was vascular. She had a suspect ticker, smoked from her teens to her 40s until an emphysema diagnosis and never exercised. She lived alone and had hearing loss. She ticked every box. Her Doc said the keys to staving off or slowing brain deterioration was social activity, physical activity and brain work. Puzzles, reading, hobbies.

I do some daily puzzles, have family and friends for social activities, still work and try and keep busy with projects. Just completed a refresh, including an EFI install, on my FJ40.

Physical exercise is key as well. Keep the heart and brain healthy with regular cardio and muscle toning exercise. I row, bike and walk, along with pushups, curls and squats regularly.

[herr_oberst]

This is an excellent topic, and I'm interested in all the responses, because it's something I'm concerned with too.

I Wordle, read, bicycle, tinker with mechanical things, worry, fret, jump to conclusions, engage in self doubt....

[gregpark]

Stop eating free sugars, eat more walnuts and stay active physically and mentally. That's alI I got

[jyl]

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

I’m terrified of dementia. I watched my father go through it and it is horrible. So I work at keeping my brain cells exercised.
I used to do logic puzzles, but I’m kind of bored with them. I may go back.
Right now I do the daily Wordle, a cryptogram, and a block-sorting game on my phone. Plus I stand balanced on one foot for two minutes at the end of morning stretches. I’m trying to expand my knot-tying repertoire, but I’m finding remembering the knots more challenging than I expected.
I know a lot of the folks here are “of a certain age.” What do you do to maintain cognitive health?

You might be interested in this. The mechanism is not understood yet but the clinical effect appears potentially significant.

https://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2025-06-25-how-do-vaccines-reduce-risk-dementia

The whole area of viruses and neurological diseases is early and interesting. I have a friend dying of ALS, so I noticed a recent article suggesting that ALS may be caused or exacerbated by latent viruses that are somehow triggered. Hopefully there is research underway on this connection including antiviral therapies. Probably not in the US though.

My work is pretty cognitive so my cognitive health regimen is to never stop working.

[Dixie]

I drink. The alcohol kills off the slow, wounded brain cells leaving room for new, healthy ones. Now, where was I going with this post?

[vash]

I sleep. I put a high priority on getting enough sleep. I now wear earplugs 100% of the time. my dog will alert me of troubles, (I hope)..but in silence, sleep is almost a super power. last night, I slept over 10 hours, since I woke up at 2:00 to fish the morning of.

less obvious. I really limit my food touching aluminum. if I use foil, I layer on some micro plastics in the form of parchment paper. hahah..

cleaner diet, I have quit alcohol, I jog daily. I get my body moving daily, suffer some. .... I want to die under my own juice.

[oldE]

Active? Check. I do the maintenance around here.
Eat healthy? Check. The wife has been a vegetarian for 45 years and I tend to eat with her. Also she puts in a garden every year. No pesticides. I manage to keep my weight in the mid 170s.
Keep the brain exercised? Check. I try to learn a song every couple of weeks. I tallied up the ones I would be prepared to sing in public (without words or music in front of me) the total is just over 300.
Plus I suspect genetics is on my side. Both parents lived into their 90s with no loss of mental faculty.

[vash]

genetics feels like a huge disadvantage or advantage. me - I think I am good to go.

wife? mmm...I might need to sharpie my name to her forearm. it runs in her family. runs deep

[herr_oberst]

Originally Posted by oldE

I tallied up the ones I would be prepared to sing in public (without words or music in front of me) the total is just over 300.

Wow.

If this is a metric then I suspect I'm dementia-bound, because even as much as I like music - and I have dozens of favorites - I might be able to recite all the lyrics to one.

(Sidebar. And it for sure ain't Gentle On My Mind. How anyone can sing that from memory boggles me.)

[Otter74]

I think this is the best answer here. My mom checks all those boxes - she’s almost 80 and doing great. Her mom spent years at the end of her life with dementia, so my mom has an understandable fear. But I think she’s in a much better position than my grandmother was.

Originally Posted by jhynesrockmtn

My Mom suffered for years with dementia. Her Doc thought it was vascular. She had a suspect ticker, smoked from her teens to her 40s until an emphysema diagnosis and never exercised. She lived alone and had hearing loss. She ticked every box. Her Doc said the keys to staving off or slowing brain deterioration was social activity, physical activity and brain work. Puzzles, reading, hobbies.

I do some daily puzzles, have family and friends for social activities, still work and try and keep busy with projects. Just completed a refresh, including an EFI install, on my FJ40.

Physical exercise is key as well. Keep the heart and brain healthy with regular cardio and muscle toning exercise. I row, bike and walk, along with pushups, curls and squats regularly.

[Seahawk]

To abuse the Eagles: "We are all just prisoners here of our own genetics..."

Sort of.

There is no history of cognitive issues on either side of my family...everybody loses a few miles an hour off the first pitch, but nothing worrisome.

Still, I want to keep the slate clean so I have done some homework that makes sense for me.

I use a regime of vitamins and supplements as recommended by my PCP and others:

- Creatine Supplement. It would be embarrassing to call what I do a "workout" but 5 grams help...I drink it as I use the elliptical and watch Family Feud. I know, what a baller, huh?

- Colostrum. Same amount. After some homework, I mix them in the same "work out" water bottle. Like I said, baller

- My PCP and others have given me a list of other supplements tailored to me...nothing wacky, just the basics as well as the typical old guy stuff.

- Essential Oils. Do some homework and do not "sleep" on their impact. I have a humidifier I use nightly with specific essential oils I have found increase my ability to relax and sleep as well as prevent congestion. I have said many times, if the palcebo effect is in play, back the truck up.

- Walk About's. If I am working from home, I go for a local drive every day...I could stay in my bubble but I have found that counter-productive...get out.

- Games. Pick any, on line, on paper, they help.

- Write. You have that talent, use it as much as you can.

That is a good start.

[cabmandone]

I can't remember.

My dad used to play Sudoku like it was his job.

[Noah930]

There are no guarantees.

Not preaching to avoid exercising your brain, but my mother passed away with Alzheimer's. She had a doctorate degree. She did sodoku puzzles. She loved murder mysteries, both on TV and reading. But then she got older. And once Covid hit (with its social isolation?) she deteriorated noticeably.

One thing I've learned in medicine: sometimes you can do everything right, and still have a bad outcome. Doesn't mean you don't try your hardest, but sometimes it's just not meant to be.

[Noah930]

There's a 3-part documentary (Netflix?) called "The Blue Zones." A guy found areas where there were high concentrations of old people (octogenarians+) and tried to figure out their secrets to longevity. One thing that struck me was a comment he made that there were no nursing homes in these cultures. Not because they weren't sophisticated enough to have them, but rather that there didn't seem to be a need for them. There weren't a lot of old people with dementia, for example.

[brainz01]

This has been a huge area of interest for me since losing my otherwise healthy father to Alzheimers in 2016. He was only 70 years old, but his mental health had declined rapidly over the prior 10 years. His Alzheimers was essentially unexplained and doctors offered no solutions or recommendations at the time. It's a nasty, lonely, expensive disease that opens one's eyes to the reality that relationships are at the brain level, hence caring for a demtia patient can feel like tending to the living dead. It sucks.

It was published after my father died, but Dale Bredesen's "The end of Alzheimers" provides an insightful theory about the many causes of dementia. The book uses a metaphor of "holes in a roof" to describe how dementia is generally a cumulative failure rather than a single point failure, which is partly why pharmaceutical interventions which target a single mode of damage are typically ineffective treatments. A single hole in your roof will cause your house to deteriorate over time, but multiple holes will quickly destroy it. The book addresses the likely "holes" in our brain health. Bredesen breaks the holes into groupings including metabolic issues (insulin resistance), nutrient deficiencies, and toxic exposures.

As for what's the best prevention for dementia, I'll summarize my personal findings:

1) Reduce your sugar and carbohydrate intake. Too much sugar creates insulin resistance, the inability for the body to efficiently process sugar over time. This reduction in metabolic activity essentially starves your brain and contributes to the build up of toxic waste products and misfolded proteins that are hallmarks of dementia. A1C is a good (cheap) measure of your sugar levels. Try to be 5.0 or less. 5.5+ is pre diabetic and not good. There's a reason some call dementia diabetes of the brain. High sugar levels are bad in general and to be avoided.

2) Get regular exercise. Both muscle mass and cardio vascular health are associated with improved insulin resistance and greater tolerance of sugar. Exercise also benefits sleep quality. HIIT exercises are also great because of how they provide temporary excess stress that seems to benefit health by challenging the body's dynamic response.

3) Get quality sleep, typically 7+ hours a night. As noted, exercise really helps with sleep. But so does eating earlier in the evening, having a set bed time, sound and light-free environments, and no alcohol before bed.

4) Eat healthy, real food. This gets contentious fsst, but IMO a whole foods, ketogenic or carnivore diet is likely best for brain and overall health. Carnivores are the smartest of the mammals, and while humans can eat a variety of foods and stay alive, it's very clear that we are anatomically preferentially carnivorous given our short guts, highly acidic stomachs, and forward facing eyes.

Grass fed red meat, eggs, and butter are king. Pork and chicken are OK. Green leafy veggies and/or broccoi/cauliflower tend to be pretty healthy. Some colorful berries have benefits in moderation, but in general, most fruits aren't especially good for regular consumption. Starchy veggies can have a place in moderation depending on your caloric needs, but for most adults are unnecessary. Grains (wheat, corn, rice) are usually not great for you for multiple reasons, and for some (including me) are disastrous for body inflammation and allergies. Avoid food that come in a box or a plastic bag and is shelf stable - these are typically grain-based processed foods. Also avoid seed oils. Olive and avacado oils are OK. Tallow, lard, coconut oil, and butter are preferred cooking fats.

5) Key supplements:
- Vitamin D (with K2). Few people get enough sun these days. D is fundamental to hundreds of body processes inclusing metabolism and immune response. The K2 helps with calcium regulation and plaque formation and helps prevent haleart attacks. D also helps with testosterone and other hormone balance.

- Magnesium (glycinate) . Our soils are generally depleted and veggies no longer have this in the amounts we need. This will synergize with Vit D and also help with blood pressure and heart arthymias which increase with age.

- Zinc (with copper). Same idea as Magnesium. Also boosts testosterone and hormone balance.

- Boron. For testosterone and bone health.

6) : Avoid these things

- Heavy metals and molds. Toxic.

- Smoking. Just don't.

- Chronic stress. And if you have unavoidable stress, find a healthy outlet for de-stress like exercise, yoga/meditation, friends, therapists, religion, etc.

- Alcohol. Not great for sleep. Not good for liver and metabolic health. Consume sparingly and preferably not every day.

- Seed oils. These are not natural parts of the human diet and should be avoided as they are inflammatory.

- Many Pharmaceuticals. This is a long and complex topic but many drugs have side effects and should be used as a last resort if diet and lifestyle can't manage the underlying issue. I'll throw rocks at statins in particular - - I think they are poison and contributed to my father's rapid decline which started within a year or two of him being prescribed such. Cholesterol has been unfairly demonized over the past 50 years on the back of very poor science and researcher bias. Cholesterol is required by the body for many important processes, and especially brain function - - statistically speaking, taking a statin will not extend your life, but it will come with side effects. Choose carefully. Flame suit on...

Anyway, after thousands of hours of research and years of [ongoing] personal testing and experiments, I am an advocate of the above. I've never felt better or more mentally sharp. Physically stronger and leaner. And my chronic health issues including allergies and anxiety went away. No meds.

It's not easy making lifestyle changes, or choices that some experts will tell you are unhealthy or unethical (eg eating red meat and saturated fat). But there is abundant research and anecdotal support for the benefits of the above measures. And the results are tangible. There are too many of us with similar success stories.

Good luck with your journey and be well.



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